Rise of the Akatsuki
by EagleTsubasa
Summary: Naruto has joined the Akatsuki. He says he did it for the Leaf, but did he? Do the Akatsuki have something planned, has Pain made him join for another reason? Slight NaruHina. Rated T for blood and high alcohol consumption. Don't like, don't read.
1. Akatsuki

Chapter 1: Akatsuki

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: WOOHOO! THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC!_

_Naruto: How epic?_

_Me: Akatsuki epic._

_Naruto: Pain epic?_

_Me: OH YEA BABY!_

_Naruto: Sweet…_

_Me: Yea…_

_Naruto: So, when is this set?_

_Me: 3 years before Hidan and Kakuzu were killed. After some mission that was never in the show. Pretend no other Akatsuki members died._

_Naruto: Oh… So I know the Rasen-Shuriken?_

_Me: Yep! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Blood… The blood of Leaf shinobi… But the newest Akatsuki member didn't care. He was offered the opportunity to be left alive if he joined the organisation. He couldn't turn that down.

He betrayed his village, his friends and his teachers, all for life… But he didn't care. The 19 year old had left 3 years ago. He was fully prepared to kill the villagers if he had to. After all, he had the power too. All he had to do was call upon it.

As the shinobi finished, he began to laugh maniacally at his defeated opponents, his voice deeper and was no longer raspy, however, his laugh was high and taunting.

Kisame clapped when he saw the carnage, jumping down from the boulder he was sitting on.

"Well done kid! You kill like a true Akatsuki!" the former Mist-Nin exclaimed. The killer stopped laughing and became serious, walking past him without a second thought. "You act like one too…" he mumbled.

The shinobi jumped up onto the rock where Kisame had been sitting on, his long golden hair landing on his back as he landed. He pushed his fringe out of his eyes and looked at all the blood.

"When we get back, I am gonna get SO wasted…" he said to Kisame.

"We think alike kid!" replied Kisame.

"Let's go. I wanna get back there as fast as I can."

"So… Sake or Vodka?"

The two were quiet for a few seconds before responding simultaneously.

"Both."

_NARUTO_

The two finally ended up at the village near the Akatsuki headquarters. They entered the village, not being bothered by the guards. They knew what the Akatsuki did but they had never bothered them and bought things in their village. Who were they to complain?

The two entered the pub to find a drunken Deidara with a shot of Vodka in one hand. They sat down beside him and got his mad drunken look.

"What the hell do you want…?"

"To get as wasted as you are," replied Kisame simply. Deidara downed his Vodka and slammed the glass on the table.

"Get me another!" he slurred.

"Um… Sir? That was your eighth glass… I think you've had enough…"

"I'll tell you when I've had enough!"

"I think he's right, Deidara. Don't you have an important mission tomorrow? If you're stuck with Tobi you DEFFINATELY don't want a hangover," said the blonde, speaking for the first time.

"You shut up, Uzumaki!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and ordered a cup of Sake. Kisame ordered Vodka and they both downed it in seconds flat.

"Wow, Naruto! You're supposed sip Sake!"

"I know," replied Naruto, downing a second glass. Kisame laughed and Deidara fell asleep on the table beside him. Oh well. They would drag him home later.

The two downed 3 more shots of Vodka. It was then that Naruto had an idea.

"Hey. Wanna see who can down a pint of Guinness faster?"

"I like your thinking kid!" responded Kisame.

The two raised their glasses before downing it as fast as they could and slammed them down when they finished.

"Wow… You are THE master of drinking…" Naruto said appreciatively.

"Why, thank you," Kisame grinned.

"You two had better get back to the hideout," said a dull voice behind them.

"Hey Itachi…" they droned without turning round.

"The boss needs a report of your last – hey, is that Sake?" he asked, getting off subject and taking the glass Naruto was about to drink from his hand.

"Hey!"

"What?"

Naruto sighed. Itachi had a soft spot for Sake… and cabbage… and onigiri with seaweed…

The two shinobi finished their drinks, paid the man and dragged a plastered Deidara back to the hideout by the collar of his Akatsuki coat.

Upon reaching the hideout, they left Itachi to deal with a drunken Deidara which Naruto considered revenge for taking his Sake.

Not a wasted as they would have liked, they relayed the mission details to Pain before staggering off to bed to await the headache that would be arriving the next morning.

'_Oh well…' _thought Naruto as he climbed into bed. _"It was worth it for tomorrows' mission…" _He was right, for tomorrow he and Kisame were destined for Konoha…

_NARUTO_

_Me: HAHAHAHA! DRUNKEN DEIDARA!_

_Naruto: And that's funny, how?_

_Me: Are you kidding? IT'S HILARIOUS!_

_Deidara: It's not funny for me… *has hangover*_

_Me: *giggles*_

_Itachi: Ugh… I need Sake…_

_Me: Oookay…? Aaanywaaay… Please R&R! I wanna know your opinions!_


	2. You're Who?

Chapter 2: You're Who?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Are you alright Naruto?_

_Naruto: … Don't talk… Hangover…_

_Me: At least it's not as bad as Deidara's… *hears Deidara moaning in his bedroom, like, a mile down the hall*_

_Deidara: I CAN HEAR YOU!_

_Kisame: Don't we have something to be doing?_

_Me: Yep! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

The Naruto and Kisame stood in front of Pain in the main hall of their headquarters.

"You know your mission. Now go," his voice echoed.

"Yes sir!" They replied before leaving the room.

_NARUTO_

"What I wanna know is, why do we have to go to the Hidden Leaf?" asked Naruto.

"To tell them that we have no reason to attack them anymore," replied Kisame.

"But why don't we just send a messenger bird?"

"They may be able to track it back to our headquarters."

"But they'll recognise me!"

"Calm down kid! They would have found out sooner or later!"

Naruto huffed. The two missing-nin were going to Konoha and, as Kisame said, they were going to tell the Hokage that they had no reason to attack them anymore. Naruto couldn't see why Zetsu couldn't go. Oh wait… He and his alter ego were twice as drunk as they were… Never mind!

"I need Sake…"

"Why?"

"I'm troubled…"

Kisame laughed. "When are you ever not?"

"True."

The Hokage had been expecting a visit from them. She was eager to let the council hear that they were no longer their enemies but many of them were sceptical of them and the villagers were no different. Maybe even worse.

_NARUTO_

The gates of Konoha loomed overhead. Naruto gulped as some ANBU came to escort them. He was maybe expecting Kakashi or Yamato but apparently that was not the case. Naruto had pulled his collar up and pulled the hair around his face to cover the whisker marks on his cheeks to make himself less conspicuous. Wait… What was he thinking? Less conspicuous? He was wearing an Akatsuki cloak! How conspicuous can you be when you're walking around with red clouds all over your cloak!

"They're gonna know it's you, ya know," teased Kisame, a sharky grin spreading from ear to ear, showing his sharp teeth which was a trademark of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Not if I hide myself…"

"What happens when your teacher or the Hokage see's you?"

"Just keep walking." Kisame laughed.

The Hokage tower was heavily guarded. The two missing-nin could feel the chakra of at least 30 ANBU Black Ops. in the area. It wasn't enough to stop them but at least they made an effort.

They were taken to an equally well guarded office which just so happened to belong to the Hokage. They must have been using a Chameleon Jutsu because Naruto could only sense their chakra.

Some of the people in the corner made Naruto panic. It was Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei and Sakura. Kakashi and Iruka looked just the same as always whereas Sakura had grown her hair again.

Everyone's eyes were on Kisame. No one cared about the young blonde shinobi with the anti-Leaf headband.

Tsunade looked both of them in the eye while Naruto put on the cold, uninterested stare that Itachi had taught him to do so well. Tsunade saw it, ignored the headband and got to discussing the matter of peace. All was going well until Naruto realised that Iruka was staring at him. He chose to ignore it and shook it off completely when Kisame spoke to him.

"Hey kid. Can you get that scroll from Pain?" Naruto nodded and took the scroll off the holder in his belt and handed it to the Hokage. She gave him a puzzled look as she saw his face but then forgot about is and read the scroll.

'_Uh-oh… They're getting suspicious!'_ thought Naruto who was still maintaining his cold façade but was secretly panicking inside.

"Well… I think I've heard enough," said the Hokage, satisfied with the results. The two Akatsuki's relaxed at these words.

They were about to leave the office when Tsunade stopped Naruto for a few seconds.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked nicely. Kisame waited outside the door and had a nice chat about the weather with their ANBU guards.

Naruto stood to attention in front of the Hokage but could feel the eyes of Kakashi, Iruka and Sakura boring into the side of his head. They had no idea why I was staying back and wanted to know NOW!

'_Deny everything…'_ thought Naruto. _'…Okay, that's so much harder than it sounds!'_ he thought again quickly.

The Hokage got up and looked out the window for a few seconds before turning round with a serious look on her face and sighed.

"I think you know why you're here…" she said quietly.

'_Butter-fudge! They noticed!'_

"I don't know what you're talking about…" he replied quietly and seriously.

"I think you do…"

Naruto looked at the other tree out of the corner of his eye and saw disgraced looks on their faces. He had to remember that they were no longer his concern.

Naruto simply stared at her as if to say 'Get to the point. I'm a busy person.'

Tsunade stared back as if to say 'Yea right.'

"I know it's you… Why did you betray us…?"

"Betray?" asked Sakura, looking rather confused.

"Isn't it obvious…? It's him…"

Naruto was quiet for a few seconds while the others' eyes went wide as they put two and two together.

"… You're not giving up on this, are you…?" Naruto said quietly. Tsunade shook her head and Naruto sighed and straightened out, allowing them to see the whisker marks on his cheeks. Upon seeing who it really was Kakashi stood there, unable to move from shock, Sakura began to cry and tears of happiness began to form in the corners of his eyes.

"Why did you feign your own death in front of the ANBU…?"

"… I did it… for the Leaf…"

Everyone's eyes went wide. "F-for the Leaf?" they all said in unison.

Naruto nodded. "If I joined them, they said they would abort the plan to capture all of the Tailed Beasts and that they would leave the Leaf and other villages alone. All we want now is to build a village for ninja who disagree with their village in hopes of preventing cases of missing-nin," he explained.

Tsunade pondered on this for a moment. Naruto wasn't one to lie to her. But even so, how had he changed? How had his mind been warped by the Akatsuki?

"Alright… You can go now…" Tsunade felt a headache coming on. She needed to figure this out.

_NARUTO_

The room they would be sharing wasn't overly big. There were two beds but there wasn't much room to put their stuff. They would be leaving the next day (followed by a quick trip to the pub when they got back).

A while after they had settled in, the ANBU brought a message to Naruto about Iruka wanting to see him.

He found Iruka in the Third Training Field. It brought back memories of when he became a genin after passing Kakashi's bell test.

He approached Iruka silently. The sensei looked up as he saw him coming and smiled. He didn't care that he was Akatsuki.

"What did you call me here for," asked Naruto with an uninterested look on his face.

"I just wanted to see you properly."

Naruto looked away, not meeting his taller teachers' eyes. Naruto felt that he was ashamed of him until Iruka took hold of his chin with one hand and turned his head towards him. It was then that Naruto noticed that he was… crying?

Then, without warning, he found that Iruka was hugging him.

"You're alive…! Thank heavens you're alive…!"

"Awww…" they heard from behind them. The next thing the ANBU knew, one of them fell out of the tree as a rock hit him right between the eyes.

"Got him…" mumbled Naruto. He hadn't even needed to break out of Iruka's hold to do it.

Iruka pulled back from him and looked him in the eyes, noticing that there was hardly anything left of the old Naruto in them.

Naruto gave a puzzled look to his sensei as if to say that he couldn't comprehend the happiness that Iruka was feeling. The truth was that he hadn't felt anything like what Iruka felt in 3 years.

Naruto couldn't let Iruka be so happy for him. He had hurt him when he had left the village. He pulled away from Iruka which got him a puzzled look.

"Are you alright Naruto?" The blonde shinobi didn't answer. Instead, he turned around and walked away.

"You shouldn't be so happy for me… I'm a terrible person…"

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: That was mean…_

_Me: I wasn't the one who did that._

_Naruto: That's the script YOU wrote!_

_Me: Hey, what the people wanna see, the people wanna see._

_Iruka: I'm all depressed now…_

_Me: I wasn't talking to you. Anyway… Please R&R!_


	3. How It Happened

Chapter 3: How It Happened

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto. (So is the guidebook I will mention.)

_NARUTO_

_Me: Hey guys! Yesterday, I found something interesting out about our good friend Gaara!_

_Gaara: Huh?_

_Me: I found out what your favourite foods are!_

_Gaara: DON'T TELL THEM!_

_Naruto: Tell us!_

_Me: Apparently it's Salted Tongue and Gizzard!_

_Naruto: GROSS!_

_Gaara: I'm gonna kill you…_

_Me: If you kill me then you can't be in this story._

_Gaara: … Darn it… I WILL GET REVENGE!_

_Me: I'd like to see you try!_

_Naruto: Anything else?_

_Me: Yea! I found out what his hobbies are!_

_Gaara: *glare*_

_Me: Oh come on! It shows your sensitive side! He likes battling and cultivating cacti._

_Gaara: Once this story is done, you DIE!_

_Me: But what if I decide to write other stories with you in them…?_

_Gaara: … Damn you… Just write your chapter…_

_Me: Kk kiddo. Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto looked back as he walked away from the gates of Konoha, Kisame walking silently beside him. Memories came back to him. Memories of the day he turned his back on this place for good.

_FLASHBACK_

_A simple mission. Go to the Hidden Sand Village with a message from the Hokage._

_Naruto walked along the path that led to the Desert of Wind. It was beginning to get warmer and a little more barren and a flock of crows circled overhead. It was then that something rather… unexpected happened._

_All of a sudden, the crows dived and a black shape began to form as they flew around in front of him. Itachi Uchiha walked out and the remaining crows dispersed._

_Naruto pulled out a kunai, fell into a fighting stance and tried to avoid looking into his eyes for fear of his genjutsu, Tsukiyomi._

"_Wait a minute. I just want to talk. No fighting," said Itachi simply. A look of confusion crossed Naruto's face and he cautiously straightened up from his fighting stance and looked at him properly._

"_What is it?" asked Naruto angrily, kunai at the ready, gripped tightly in his hands._

"_It is a simple message from my leader. He wanted me to inform you that we will no longer be attacking the village," stated Itachi._

_Naruto's grip on the kunai relaxed and his look of anger softened._

"_On one condition."_

"_Condition?"_

"_Yes. The one condition is that you join us to prevent other villages from taking us out. You will, of course, have to feign your own death to prevent suspicion."_

_Naruto dropped the kunai. "You want me to feign my own death? Do you know how that could impact the people in my village?" gasped Naruto._

"_I know, but it is to their own benefit. For you see, they will not be an Akatsuki target. So… Will you?"_

_Naruto thought for a moment. "… And he definitely promises he won't order attacks on them…?"_

"_Of course. Now… will you come with me?"_

_Naruto was silent. "What do I need to do to fake my death then?"_

"_A genjutsu. We will wait around here until a team comes to find you and cast a genjutsu on them and they will see me 'kill' you. That should be enough to fool them. I also have a special juice from the mandrake plant that will slow down your heart rate. It won't kill you but it will create the illusion of death."_

_Naruto nodded. It was a good plan, he had to admit._

_3 days later…_

_A team of Jōnin rounded the corner consisting of Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. The woman he loved… Oh, how he would miss her… And he never even got to tell her how he felt…_

_Naruto accepted a small vial of mandrake juice from Itachi and drank it. Naruto gagged on the taste of the juice. It tasted like… well… he wasn't sure but it sucked anyway. Immediately after ingesting it, he started to feel tingly. Both ninja nodded to each other, Itachi cast the genjutsu and soon, the team could hear the sounds of a vicious 'battle'._

_They ran around the corner to see Naruto in mid battle with Itachi. It was here that Itachi pulled out a katana and stabbed Naruto through the lung, damaging the heart. The katana was merely a genjutsu and the blood that was coming out of Naruto was no different. They knew that but the Konoha ninja didn't._

"_NARUTO!" they all screamed in shock at seeing their best friend 'impaled.'_

_Naruto collapsed and Itachi, pretending that he had just spotted them, used the body flicker technique and escaped to the top of the cliff, which was where he would wait until the Konoha ninja left._

_They all ran over to their friend to see him slowly 'dying' right in front of them._

"_Naruto!" Hinata screamed and fell to the ground beside him. Sakura began to try to heal him before she saw that the damage was just too great to fix. Naruto reached up slowly and moved her hand from the 'wound' on his chest. The mandrake juice was making his eyes feel heavy and his breathing was laboured. He feigned pain as Hinata lifted him up, tears rolling down her beautiful, perfect face._

_Naruto tried to manage some words but nothing came so he whispered something that only Hinata could hear. Her eyes went wide and before she could respond, he was gone._

_The next thing he knew, he was on Itachi's back as he jumped through the trees on the way to the Akatsuki hideout._

"_You ok?" he asked._

"_I have an itch on my back and I can't move to scratch it…" moaned Naruto. Itachi let out a chuckle._

"_Chiz, that's difficult…"_

"_What is chiz anyway?"_

_Itachi shrugged. "Hidan thinks it's some form of Russian meat." Naruto laughed, getting back more movement, but not enough to be able to reach that damn itch!_

"_I'm not scratching it…" stated Itachi._

"_Aww…"_

"_Does it really sound Russian?"_

_Naruto shrugged. "I think it sounds German."_

"_Really? I thought it sounded Swedish…" wondered Itachi._

"_IT'S RUSSIAN!" they heard a loud voice coming from a large cave near them._

"_Deidara?" asked Naruto._

"_Deidara…" sighed Itachi._

_END FLASHBACK_

Naruto could only thank his lucky stars that the Konoha ninja had actually left him there like he had told Hinata to. But before he had drifted off, there was something he had to tell her…

_FLASHBACK_

"_Hinata… I… love… you…"_

_END FLASHBACK_

_NARUTO_

_Me: *eating sandwich* Aww…_

_Hinata: *faints*_

_Naruto: *blushes*_

_Hidan: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S SO SAPPY!_

_Me: *throws sandwich and hits Hidan on the head* Don't you know beauty when you see it?_

_Hidan: Deidara? I that ending beautiful?_

_Deidara: *sniffs and bursts out crying* IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!_

_Hidan: *grunts and leaves*_

_Me: Hey, Naruto? Ever feel like someone's watching you? *looks at a glaring Gaara slowly*_

_Naruto: Yea. Why?_

_Me: *points at Gaara*_

_Naruto: Oh…_

_Me: Anyway… Please R&R!_


	4. Better to Let Sleeping Jashinists Lie

Chapter 4: It's Better to Let Sleeping Drunken Jashinists Lie

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Where is Naruto?_

_Deidara: He's in bed._

_Me: Why?_

_Deidara: *shrugs* Something about feeling sick._

_Me: Was he drinking again?_

_Deidara: I don't know. I can't remember what I did last night._

_Me: Drinking again?_

_Itachi: They all were._

_Deidara: You were probably as drunk as I was._

_Itachi: …_

_Me: … Oookay… Without further ado… Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Ah… There was something about beer that just made Naruto feel so right. But there was something about sleeping drunken Jashinists being woken up that made him feel SO wrong. This was the conclusion he came to in bed that day.

Perhaps we need to go back a little further so we can find out how he came to this conclusion…

_FLASHBACK_

_Naruto and Kisame had just arrived back at the hideout, much more tired and bothered than they should have been._

_This probably would have been because Naruto had been dragging his feet and complaining the whole way home the moment Kisame said that they would have to go back in the near future, probably to discuss the peace treaty further and since Naruto had no interest OR knowledge in politics and he desperately didn't want to go back there and run the risk of having to face Shikamaru who never got his revenge for the death of Asuma or even worse… Hinata… Imagine her disappointment…_

_When asked why he of all people would have to go back, Kisame merely replied, "Probably because they trust you, man."_

_This resulted in Kisame getting tired and irritated with Naruto for whining and this ended up making Naruto become tired and irritated with Kisame. That and Naruto got hungry and ate the supplies and they had to go without food for 5 days. So, in general, both were tired and irritated._

_Upon reporting to Pain, both immediately headed to the bar in the nearby village for some food and alcohol. Oh how they loved the sweet, sweet poison. Even if it was rotting their livers but they couldn't care less. They were getting as drunk as humanly possible!_

"_**Come on, kit! Hurry up and get there! I wanna get as plastered as possible!" **__growled the Kyuubi from within the dark bowels of Naruto's conscience._

"_We're going as fast as we can! How do you get drunk in there, anyway?" replied Naruto._

_The Kyuubi mentally shrugged. __**"How the heck should I know?"**__ This was good enough for Naruto._

_The two shinobi walked into the loud and overly crowded bar, immediately seeing one of their teammates slouching over the counter, downing a cup of Sake._

"_Hey Itachi!" yelled Kisame. Itachi turned round and smiled at his comrades._

"_YO! KISAME! NARUTO!" he yelled drunkenly, waving as they walked over to him._

"_Hey Itachi," said Naruto as they sat down on either side of him. He knew that Itachi got drunk V-E-R-Y easily. In fact, he was a master of the Drunken Fist. He just didn't get drunk as quickly as Lee. He still loved his Sake as much as the next guy, though._

_Itachi leaned over and put one arm around Naruto's shoulder, Sake in one hand._

"_I wanna tell you a secret…" drawled Itachi. Naruto rolled his eyes, remembering several other times when he had heard this one. "You, man, are the BEST friend I EVER had!"_

_Itachi downed his Sake, slammed the glass on the table and began laughing hysterically._

"_Thanks… man…" Naruto replied, his eye twitching._

_Sighing at Kisame who, at that moment was laughing hysterically at Itachi, he ordered some Sake and looked around the bar for any more of his comrades._

"_Hidan, I think you've had enough," he heard a deep voice at the other end of the bar._

"_I'll *hic* tell you when I've had enough!" yelled a certain young man who, at this moment, was sprawled across a table at the other end. Immediately after saying this, his head dropped onto the counter with a bang and he began to snore, a glass of Guinness in one hand._

_The clearly older looking man sighed and looked around the bar until his eyes rested on Naruto, Itachi and Kisame._

"_Naruto," said the older man._

_Naruto jogged over to the man._

"_Yea, Kakuzu?" replied Naruto._

"_Wake him up," he said, pointing at Hidan. Naruto was filled with dread._

"_NO! NO WAY! GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT! I AIN'T WAKING HIM UP AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME!" yelled Naruto in response._

"_Well, I'm not waking him up again," said Kakuzu in a gruff voice._

"_Give me one good reason why I should."_

_Kakuzu thought for a moment._

"_I'll buy you drinks and take you out for ramen for a month."_

_Naruto pondered on this._

"_Make it two and you got a deal."_

"_Deal."_

_Naruto braced himself and slowly walked over to the Jashinist holding his breath. He poked him and quickly recoiled, yelping and shielding his face before Hidan could react. When he didn't move, Naruto got curious._

"_Hidan? You in there buddy?" he inquired, poking him in the ribs with a stick he magically got out of nowhere._

_The next thing he knew, the entire bar had gone quiet and he was pulling himself out of a half-collapsed brick wall._

"_Never wake me up… AGAIN!" yelled Hidan as he took a few steps towards Naruto. Naruto staggered to his feet and was soon knocked over and through the wall via a large blow to his chest._

_Naruto looked up and saw Kakuzu restraining Hidan from mutilating him. Thankfully, Naruto would have obtained more than the 3 broken ribs he now suffered but Hidan was drunk and weakened._

_Kisame, who still hadn't got round to drinking yet, ran over and picked up his comrade._

'_Oh well…' thought Naruto. 'At least Kakuzu's paying…' It was then that after looking through the hole in the wall at the people inside, who had resumed chatting, that he noticed that Kakuzu was no longer even in the bar._

"_Maybe we should just go home," suggested Kisame._

"_But I'm hungry…" Naruto whined, leaning heavily against Kisame._

"_You may be dead if we don't get you seen too," retorted Kisame._

_Naruto began to make a smartass comment but was quickly silenced as Kisame led him away._

"_Naruto?" asked Kisame. "Are you alright?"_

_Naruto had begun to lean more heavily on his sometimes-battle partner and Kisame knew what Hidan could do._

_That was the last thing Naruto could remember._

_END FLASHBACK_

And that, Naruto concluded as he lay in bed, covered in bandages while Konan healed him, is why it is better to let drunken sleeping Jashinists lie.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: OW! MY RIBS!_

_Me: Oh, come on. I'm sure it's not that-_

_Naruto: THEY'RE BROKEN!_

_Me: SHUT UP OR IT'LL BE MORE THAN YOUR RIBS THAT'S BROKEN!_

_Naruto: *sarcastic* So what are you gonna brake? My Bladers' Spirit? HAHAHAHA!_

_Me: … *grins* RYUGA!_

_Ryuga: *laughs maniacally and launches L-Drago*_

_Naruto: Oh rame- ARGH!_

_We, 4Kids, interrupt this broadcast as it is far too violent. Good thing we came! Now, will you please enjoy this nice video of puppies and kittens playing nicely together! *elevator music plays*_

_Naruto: *background* ARGH! THE PAIN! THE BLOOD! *splattering noise of blood hitting wall* *sound of flesh shredding* WHO KNEW A CHILDRENS' TOY COULD BE SO PAINFUL! OH MY GOODNESS! SOMEONE SAVE ME! WHERE DID THAT DRAGON COME FROM! OH MY GOSH!_

_Me: Ok. That's enough Ryuga. 4Kids._

_Ryuga: *walks away*_

_4Kids: *skips happily through valley of flowers and over the hills before disappearing over the horizon*_

_Me: I'm sorry you guys had to miss that but 4Kids threatened me. That's right kids. They threatened me. Anyway, while Naruto recovers, please R&R!_


	5. A New Member?

Chapter 5: A New Member?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Naruto? Are you over it yet?_

_Naruto: It's still painful… Konan says my arms are gonna be scarred for life…_

_Me: That'll show you not to make fun of *poses* THE BLADERS' SPIRIT!_

_Guy & Lee: You have the *poses* POWER OF YOUTH!_

_Naruto: SHUT UP! ANYTHING BUT GUY & LEE!_

_Me: Hehehe… Anyways… Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

After recovering from some… Beyblade related injuries caused by the breaking of the 4th wall, Naruto and Itachi were sent on a little mission.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Naruto. Itachi. I have a job for the both of you," said Pain as Naruto and Itachi stood before him. "We have gotten reports from the villagers that state that a Sound shinobi has been sighted around the perimeter of the village. He was, no doubt, sent by Orochimaru. I am sending you two for obvious reasons. The shinobi… has been described to look like Sasuke…"_

_Naruto and Itachi's eyes went wide._

"_I want you to get him to join. If he declines, destroy him. You have your orders. Now, go!"_

_END FLASHBACK_

The two missing-nin were currently wandering in the woods surrounding the village. Naruto, at that moment, had a dozen thoughts running through his head.

There was no doubt in his mind that news of his 'death' had reached Sasuke, one way or the other as he had heard of Sasuke's defect. Naruto was simply thinking of Sasuke's reaction at seeing him alive.

It wasn't long before Naruto, with his heightened senses, began to someone in the surrounding area.

Naruto stopped and Itachi turned around, knowing what was happening.

"How many?" asked Itachi without showing any emotion.

Naruto sniffed the air a few times. "Just one… Smells familiar though…"

"Who is it?" asked Itachi curiously.

"… Hmm…" Naruto said, sniffing the air again. "It smells… sort of like… you Itachi…" Itachi's eyes narrowed in contemplation but he was secretly becoming nervous.

"How far…?" he asked, trying to prevent his voice from becoming hoarse but he still felt anxious.

Naruto sniffed again and his eyes widened. "Duck!" he yelled.

Itachi ducked as a kunai sailed past his head, his Sharingan ablaze. Naruto turned to the source of the kunai and glared at the tree, growling at the scent coming from it, his eyes red with the Fox's power.

The attacker jumped gracefully down from the tree, landing without any sound, one hand on a sword at his hip.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, nervousness gone. He turned to Naruto and nodded. Naruto nodded back and both disappeared into the trees.

"Now then… Where could you be hiding…" muttered the attacker, activating his Sharingan.

Using a Jutsu that made his voice echo all around them, Itachi spoke to the lone shinobi.

"Sasuke… What makes you think that you can defeat both of us…?" Itachi inquired.

"I can defeat whatever you throw at me, be it you or your comrade, whoever he is!" yelled Sasuke, looking around in a futile attempt to find the source of the noise through the Genjutsu.

Itachi looked round at Naruto and nodded. Naruto nodded back.

"Fine. You have your wish. See if you can defeat my comrade. If you can, you may face me. But I doubt you can. He is strong," said Itachi.

At these words, Naruto dropped silently from the tree behind Sasuke, landing without so much as a sound. When Sasuke realised that his opponent was behind him, he turned to see who it was… only to see a terrifying sight.

Naruto was on all fours on the ground, eyes red and letting out a bloodthirsty snarl. His goal was to kill.

Still unable to recognise Naruto, Sasuke pulled out a kunai. Naruto crouched down further as if to strike. Suddenly, the two leapt forward, Naruto moving almost 3 times as fast as Sasuke.

Caught off guard by his incredible speed, Sasuke dodged before Naruto could hit him but as he dodged a red chakra arm extended from Naruto's back and grabbed Sasuke who screamed as the chakra began to burn him. The chakra arm lifted him and threw him onto the ground creating a crater.

As Sasuke pulled himself up, he looked at Naruto in disbelief as Naruto roared to the heavens.

'_How could he be so powerful?' _thought Sasuke in a panic. Getting to his feet, Sasuke pulled out his sword, charging it with lightning.

"Sword of Kusanagi: Chidori Katana!" yelled Sasuke as he charged towards Naruto, sword crackling with energy.

Suddenly, to his surprise, his opponent started to create a Rasengan (A/N: without a Shadow Clone).

The two collided and the Chidori Current was defeated. A huge explosion followed by a large shockwave erupted from the collision site, almost knocking Itachi out of his perch on the tree branch. Trees were torn in half as the shockwave caused most of them to either burn or shatter.

Sasuke tried to stand up, only to find a foot on his chest, pushing him back down.

"You disappoint me, Sasuke… You're a ghost of your former self…" growled Naruto, applying more pressure. Sasuke winced.

"W-who are you…?" asked Sasuke, his voice cracking.

Naruto laughed before smirking at the defeated Sound-nin. Bending down beside him, Naruto whispered something in his ear that made his eyes go wide.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"N-no… You can't be… You can't be! Naruto is dead!" screamed Sasuke. There was no way this could be him. Absolutely no way.

"Oh, but he is very alive…" Itachi's voice echoed throughout the clearing.

"That's right Sasuke… Join us and we won't kill you…" stated Naruto.

"Never! I'll never join the man who killed my clan!" Sasuke screeched.

Itachi jumped down from the tree he was sitting in and went to stand beside Naruto.

"It's time you knew the full story… Sasuke… Danzo ordered me to kill the Uchiha clan for the sake of Konoha…" said Itachi quietly, looking down at his little brother. Naruto could see a warmth in his cold eyes that he had never seen in him before.

"Y-you mean… you didn't do it for your own purposes?" asked Sasuke, becoming more relaxed. Itachi shook his head.

Sasuke slowly shook his head. "No… You're lying… You're lying!" he yelled, tensing up again.

Suddenly, Sasuke winced as Naruto's foot pressed down on his chest even harder.

"LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY!" barked Naruto angrily, glaring at his former teammate. Surprised by his sudden outburst, Sasuke was quiet.

"I didn't want to kill our clan Sasuke…" Itachi continued, this time with no interruptions. "Our clan was going to rebel and Danzo told me to stop them but I couldn't bear to kill you too. I begged him not to make me do it and he granted me my wish. That is why you are here today," he explained.

Sasuke seemed to ponder on this. "Wait," he said. "If this is true, why didn't you tell me sooner?" he inquired.

"Because I did a terrible thing. I wanted you to be the one to punish me for it," he said sadly. Sasuke could say no more.

"Well? What's it gonna be?" growled Naruto. Sasuke appeared to be looking right through Itachi and didn't hear Naruto.

"So… you didn't want to kill our clan…?" he asked slowly. Itachi nodded then looked round at Naruto. Sasuke felt Naruto's foot being lifted from his chest and the pain of Naruto pressing down on it eased. Itachi put a hand out to pull him up which Sasuke accepted.

Upon pulling him up, Itachi proceeded to pull some twigs out of his hair and brushed some dirt off him before smiling at him. Sasuke smiled back.

Naruto rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Sasuke.

"Away from here," replied Naruto.

"What's wrong with him?" inquired Sasuke.

Suddenly, a light went on in Itachi's head. "Wait…" said Itachi. "It seems that when he is happy, you're an emo…"

"I'M NOT AN EMO!" yelled Sasuke.

"Ok, ok… But it also seems that when you are happy… he is grumpy… It's almost as if he hates to see you happy," muttered Itachi.

Sasuke looked off into the distance. "I'm gonna kill that freak…" muttered Sasuke before running into the distance, yelling after Naruto…

_NARUTO_

_Me: The next chapter is one with a plot twist._

_Naruto: Oh! Does it include me?_

_Me: Maybe a little more from Kisame's point of view but yea, you're in it._

_Naruto: That's good._

_Me: Please R&R!_


	6. Drowning Lessons

Chapter 6: Drowning Lessons

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto. Also, the title belongs to My Chemical Romance who I do not own or have any affiliation with (or so you think).

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: I don't like the sound of this…_

_Me: Oh yea… This is gonna be full of pain for you…_

_Naruto: I REALLY don't like the sound of this…_

_Me: Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"I have a job for you three," said Pain in his usual monotone voice.

Naruto, Kisame and Sasuke stood in front of Pain.

"I want you to head to the Hidden Cloud. They need to know of our treaty. I am sending you three to the Cloud to tell them. Watch out for the Jinchuuriki of the Cloud. He is very strong. Head out!"

All three shinobi saluted to their leader and ran out of the cave.

It took nearly a week to reach Cloud country. They were travelling through an area with many deep pools that none of the shinobi see the bottom of. They had to walk over the murky waters on more than one occasion and all three found that it was unpleasantly cold. Kisame, though, appeared unfazed by the waters' depth. Naruto and Sasuke were sticking very closely together on this one and couldn't stop looking down at their feet when the crossed one of the pools, wincing when they couldn't see the bottom.

They were getting closer to the village and happened to be walking over one of the pools when they heard a voice above them.

"IT'S AKATSUKI STOMPIN' TIME! WOOHOO!" yelled a loud voice. All three looked up to see a rapper-style shinobi standing above them.

"My name's Killer Bee, yo! What y'all think you rejects are doin' here?" he yelled.

"Geez… Not so loud…" stated Naruto, hands over his hypersensitive ears that were hurting from the racket. Sasuke shook his head and tutted in pity for him.

"He's not gonna be quiet kid. You should sit this one out," said Kisame. Naruto shook his head and brought his hands away from his ears.

"No way! I need a good fight and this is as good as any!" exclaimed Naruto, rearing to fight.

"But, don't we have to discuss a peace treaty with the Cloud? It's not going to make a treaty easier in we kill one of their own," said Sasuke.

"Do you think he'll let us past?" asked Naruto. A water Jutsu shot past Naruto's head. "I'm taking that as a no…"

"Hey! We're not here to fight!" yelled Kisame.

"Yea!" yelled Sasuke. "We're here to negotiate with the Cloud."

"We're forming peace treaties with all the other villages!" yelled Naruto. Killer Bee scoffed at them.

"Do you think I'd fall for something so stupid?" asked Killer Bee.

All three shinobi felt an enormous amount of KI coming from their opponent.

Naruto then noticed how much chakra he was giving off. He was going all out… in a Jinchuuriki kind of way. Kisame saw Naruto sniff the chakra in the air, trying to find how much chakra he was giving off.

"W-what?" stammered Naruto.

"What is it? What's he doing?" asked Sasuke frantically.

"H-he's going straight to the 8th tail!" exclaimed Naruto, eyes wide in shock. Kisame's eyes narrowed as Naruto began to shy back from the overwhelming chakra he could sense in the air. This was the Jinchuuriki Pain had told them about. And he was powerful.

Naruto began to growl as Killer Bee jumped from the cliff and landed in the water and finally reached his 8th tail.

"Tailed Beast Ball!" he yelled, a round orb forming in from of him.

"JUMP! NOW!" yelled Naruto. The others knew that he knew what he was doing and followed his orders without hesitation. The water was hit with an explosion that the all somehow emerged remotely unscathed from.

Killer Bee swiped out a Naruto with a tentacle, throwing him into the cliffs. He hit it and sank to the ground, only to stand back up.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" yelled Sasuke, blowing fire from his mouth. Killer Bee became engulfed in the flames but emerged unscathed.

"Wind Release: Rasen-Shuriken!" yelled Naruto, running at Killer Bee with his ultimate attack that was currently tearing his arm apart.

The attack hit Killer Bee with a large explosion which he emerged from unharmed.

"What's with this guy!" exclaimed Kisame as he hit him with a Water Bullet Jutsu that, yet again, did not harm him.

Killer Bee took a swipe at Kisame who stood frozen to the spot. Naruto, knowing his duty, jumped in front of the blow and his legs took most of the damage, thus rendering them virtually useless. The rest of the blow propelled Naruto below the surface of the water.

Sasuke nodded to Kisame to show him that he could hold him off while Kisame retrieved Naruto.

Kisame plunged into the cold water. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed Naruto, cut and bleeding at the bottom of the lake, barely conscious.

Naruto, meanwhile, saw Kisame coming and tried to hold his breath for as long as he could. He closed his eyes tightly and after about 5 minutes felt warm arms wrap around him and felt himself being lifted up. He tensed and pressed himself up against Kisame, trying to distract himself. His chest was on fire and Kisame was swimming as quickly as possible.

Naruto was gripping at his throat and struggling in Kisame's grip, unable to hold it for any longer. He began to cough and splutter just before they hit the surface and began to gulp down the filthy water that surrounded them.

As they broke through the surface, Kisame began to haul an unconscious Naruto onto the shore. He lifted him up and ran to somewhere safer.

"I called for backup! They should be here any minute. Is Naruto alright?" yelled Sasuke as he fought off the 8 Tails. Kisame began to look over Naruto. As he did this, Konan and Itachi jumped from the cliff and landed beside Sasuke, ready to fight. Sasuke muttered something to Konan and she turned and ran to Kisame and Naruto.

"What happened?" she demanded as she got down on her knees and examined him.

"What do you think happened?" yelled Kisame, clearly distressed.

Konan growled at him and felt Naruto's pulse. Nothing.

Sasuke looked back as Konan began CPR. This beast had killed Naruto. His best friend. Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his eyes but chose to ignore it. He was angry and wanted revenge. His eyes narrowed and he screamed, running at the 8 Tails.

He pulled out his sword. "CHIDORI CURRENT!" he bellowed, stabbing one of Killer Bee's eight tentacle-like tails. The beast froze on the spot as the electricity coursed through him but soon the electricity had worn off and he lashed out at Sasuke.

Itachi intercepted the blow and was propelled into the cliff face. He coughed up blood on impact but soon stood up again, ready to help his little brother fight off Killer Bee.

Sasuke felt the pain again and then felt a rush of power. He sank to his knees, clutching his eyes in pain. He suddenly removed his hands and knew what he had to do. He stood up.

"You are in for the biggest fight of your life…"

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: I DIE?_

_Me: *sigh* Let's get this over with before he tears me apart… Please R&R!_


	7. How to Tell Her

Chapter 7: How to Tell Her…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: *going on a rampage*_

_Me & Sasuke: *eye twitches*_

_Kisame: Umm… Shouldn't someone be stopping him?_

_Pain: *sighs* I'll do it… *grabs Naruto by the collar and drags him away kicking and screaming*_

_Me: … Please enjoy the story…_

_NARUTO_

What Itachi saw when he looked at his beloved brother was shocking. His eyes were black with 3 red ovals intersecting at his pupils. Sasuke had achieved a state of Mangekyō.

"AMATERASU!" screeched Sasuke. Black, unquenchable fires engulfed the beast and it screamed.

After the beast fell, Sasuke fell to his knees, hands over his eyes, trickles of blood sliding down his face. _'What happened? And how did I know to do that?'_

Itachi stared in shock at his brother, eyes wide. Sasuke removed his hands from his eyes, spun around and ran at full speed towards the still form that was his best friend.

"Naruto!" he yelled as he collapsed on his knees beside his friend. It had been nearly 5 minutes but Konan wasn't giving up. She breathed into Naruto one last time and as she did so he began to splutter and cough up water. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Naruto began to take short, painful breaths.

He slowly opened his eyes but all that he could see were blurs. He could make out the clouds on the Akatsuki cloaks… Kisame's blue skin… Konan's paper flower… Then, everything went dark again…

Kisame felt something inside his head.

"Come back to the hideout. Naruto is more important than a treaty with the Cloud…" Pain's voice echoed in his mind. Kisame nodded, relayed the message to his teammates, picked up Naruto and all of the shinobi headed back to the hideout.

The next month was rough for Naruto. No one could leave him alone for fear that something would happen. He was in terrible shape. The water must have contained some sort of nasty virus as Naruto was currently running a high fever and hadn't woken up since the incident. He now lay in bed, gasping, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. Even cold Hidan pitied him. Sasuke paid very long, frequent visits.

Kisame refused to leave him. If he had taken that blow, it would have been him in this position. He felt that he owed Naruto that much, at least.

His legs were no better. They were badly injured and bruised and Konan was afraid of a haemorrhage. However, there was a chance that he would survive and continue to be a ninja. But only a chance…

Kisame was in Naruto's room in a chair by his bed, sleeping soundly. He had been up for hours watching over him and now it was Konan's turn. She had left to get more cold water for the cloth that was draped over Naruto's head that kept his fever down.

Kisame was leaning on Naruto's bed and was woken up when he felt Naruto stir in his sleep.

"Naruto?" he inquired. "You alright buddy?"

Naruto's eyes slowly fluttered open and his unfocused gaze rested on Kisame. Naruto tried to form at least one word in his mind.

"Kis… Kisa… m-me…?" he panted, a momentary look of confusion on his face. Kisame smiled a broad shark-like grin bearing two sets of razor sharp teeth. It was then that Konan entered. Seeing Naruto awake, Konan smiled at him.

"Okay Naruto. This will make you feel a lot better," she said kindly. Naruto saw the wet cloth in her hand and rolled his head to the side when she tried to place it on his forehead.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" asked Kisame. Konan looked puzzled and tried again but Naruto only moved his head. Kisame whispered to Konan that he should probably let Sasuke know that he was up and hurried away, closing the door behind him and leaving Konan to ponder.

It wasn't long before the door flew open, slamming against the wall. Naruto turned his head slightly and smiled at his visitor. He hurried over to Naruto's bedside and got down on his knees just as Kisame entered.

"Naruto, are you alright?" he asked, worried for his friend.

"Sa… Sas…" he began but was hushed by Sasuke.

"Don't try to talk…" muttered Sasuke with the concern a parent might have for his child.

Sasuke had been in a daze. Pain couldn't send him on missions. He wouldn't eat much and had lost quite a bit of weight. He was a sorry sight and Itachi had been getting very worried.

Konan lifted his head up and offered him a glass of water. Naruto saw it, violently shook his head to the side and smacked it out of Konan's hand. It fell to the floor and smashed, water spilling over her. The konoichi looked at Naruto in shock and, for a brief second, saw a look of fear on his face. Konan whispered something to Sasuke and Sasuke quickly left the room to deliver a message to Pain.

He ran into a large, cavernous room. Pain sat on a stone throne as he entered.

"You wished to see me, Sasuke?" inquired Pain.

"I have good news and bad news," replied Sasuke.

"Well, what's the good news?" asked Pain.

"The good news is that Naruto has woken up," replied Sasuke.

"And the bad news?" Sasuke braced himself and took a deep breath.

"He's-terrified-of-any-and-all-liquids!" he blurted out.

A frown marred Pain's features. "Terrified of liquids, you say…" he muttered. Pain rubbed his chin in thought. Naruto was a valuable member of the Akatsuki and, without him, the Akatsuki would be free for anyone to attack. Their biggest threat would be gone and Pain knew that they could all be in danger.

He stood up and walked past Sasuke. He needed time alone to think.

As he left, he heard Sasuke walk back down the corridor where he came from to go to Naruto's room. Pain made his way to his own room and sunk into a chair with his head in his hands. It was 10 long, stressful minutes before an idea came to him.

He got up and walked briskly into the room where Sasuke told him about Naruto and sat in his throne before sending a mental signal to Sasuke, telling him he had something for him to do. Sasuke reluctantly agreed and left Naruto's side to accept the mission.

Sasuke entered the room about 5 minutes later.

"Sasuke, I have a rather important job for you. But first, a question," said Pain. Sasuke nodded. "Do you know of anyone that Naruto is close to? Maybe from the Hidden Leaf?" he inquired. Sasuke pondered on this for a moment.

"Hmm… Maybe Iruka? No…" Suddenly Sasuke snapped his fingers. "Hinata!" he exclaimed. "Those two were going out when Naruto left!" Pain nodded his approval.

"Alright then. I want you to find this girl and ask her to help Naruto," said Pain.

"Wait. She doesn't know Naruto is alive yet and why should she believe me? And if she does, what would her reaction be? She could refuse to help him for lying to her," asked Sasuke.

"You must try if you are to save Naruto," said Pain simply. Sasuke nodded and headed out for the Leaf.

It took a few weeks but he eventually got there. He headed over a hill and, upon reaching the top, saw Konoha in the distance. It was a warm, sunny day and Sasuke's cloak was opened at his chest letting a slight breeze blow on him, his cloak trailing in the wind. The bells on his hat jingled in the breeze.

As he approached, he saw someone leaving the gates. Oh sugar! Sakura!

Sakura stopped as she saw him, unable to speak.

"Hello, Sakura," said Sasuke simply. Sakura shook her head slowly in disbelief, not removing her eyes from him. Then suddenly, she pulled out a kunai and held it in front of her. Sasuke quickly threw his hands up in surrender.

"Wow! Wait a minute! I'm not here to fight anyone!" Sasuke blurted out, not wanting a fight if possible. Sakura didn't believe him and gripped her kunai harder. "I'm Akatsuki now! See?" he pointed to one of the clouds on his cloak. Sakura finally acknowledged the cloak he was wearing and her grip slackened on the kunai. "I just need to talk to Hinata!" said Sasuke.

"Why Hinata?" growled Sakura.

"There was a bit of an accident with Naruto and we need Hinata to talk to him about it so he can snap out of it," stated Sasuke.

"What accident?" asked Sakura. Sasuke sighed and took a few minutes to explain what happened.

"And now we can't even go _near_ him with a liquid. It's like he's just given up," finished Sasuke. Sakura sighed and hung her head.

"It's a sad day when Naruto gives up…" she sighed. Sasuke sadly nodded his head. "Well… I suppose I had better tell the Hokage you're here," she said.

"Weren't you about to go on a mission?" asked Sasuke.

"Oh, the mission can wait. This is far more important," she said before running off. "Wait here!" she yelled back as she disappeared into the trees. Sasuke sat down on a rock and waited a good half hour before she came running back.

"Lady Tsunade says that you can enter. But no funny business!" she added.

"Oh, Sakura. Since when have I ever had a sense of humour?" Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Sakura giggled.

"I don't know. But you sure have sarcasm!" she exclaimed.

She and Sasuke eventually entered the gates, the guards going quiet as they entered. Many spat insults at Sasuke as they passed. Many villagers stared and a few dropped their brooms or jugs as they walked by. Word of Sasuke's return spread through the village like wildfire, many exaggerated. Honestly, Sasuke wasn't bothered.

The two shinobi were called into the Hokage's office. Sasuke could sense several ANBU members in the room, though all were very well camouflaged.

"Good day, Lady Hokage," greeted Sasuke with a little bow. The Hokage stood up and walked over to him.

"Cut to the chase, Sasuke. Why are you here?" she snapped. Sasuke explained their situation and she walked back to her seat, sighing as she sat. "Very well… Sakura, bring Hinata here before going on your mission," she ordered. Sakura saluted and left.

Tonton, who was with Shizune who was in the room, jumped out of her arms. She wandered over to Sasuke and sniffed him.

"Oink!" she said in approval and rubbed against him like a cat. Sasuke gave the little pig a small smile and, to him, it was almost like she smiled back.

Sasuke was signalled to wait in the hall. As he left, Tonton began to follow him.

"Tonton! Come back here!" ordered Shizune. Tonton continued to follow him and eventually, Shizune gave up and Tsunade let her follow her new friend.

Sasuke had one thought going through his head as he sat in the hall. 'Oh great golly… I've gone mad… I'm talking to a pig…'

Tonton oinked in understanding at everything he said and head-butted him an annoyance when he said she was cute. As Sakura and Hinata rounded the corner, Sasuke was telling the pig something that he needed to get off his chest… Something rather embarrassing… Something rather personal… Something that was-

"-COMPLETELY Hidan's fault!" exclaimed Sasuke. "And that is why we NEVER… let Hidan near mayonnaise…" he finished, shaking his head sadly. He froze when he heard giggling from down the hall.

"Oh chiz…" he muttered to himself.

"Why aren't you letting Hidan near mayonnaise?" giggled Sakura.

"Oh Sakura, you don't know! You weren't there!" hissed Sasuke in fear. "We now call it The Night of the Mayonnaise…" he squeaked. "Of course, he was drunk but OH SAKURA! IT WAS HORRIBLE!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face. Both Sakura and Hinata burst out laughing, leaving Sasuke to pout.

"So, why did you want me?" asked Hinata shyly. Sasuke paused and rubbed his arm in embarrassment.

"Now, Hinata, before I tell you anything, will you promise me that you won't freak out?" Hinata looked at Sakura and then nodded.

"Hinata… I don't know how to tell you this, but… Naruto is… alive…" said Sasuke quietly. Hinata's eyes went wide with shock.

"N-Naruto is… ALIVE?" she stammered. Sasuke nodded.

"And he needs your help…" he continued.

"But if he's alive, why didn't he tell me?" she exclaimed.

"It was beneficial to the cause if you didn't know…" said Sasuke. Sasuke proceeded to tell the kunoichi all that had happened and why Naruto needed her. "He'll die if you don't help him," he finished.

Hinata looked at her feet shyly. "H-he… needs me…" she mumbled, almost as if in thought. Then, without warning, she became angry. "He needs me… HAH! IF HE NEEDED ME, THEN WHY DID HE LEAVE?" she shrieked. Sasuke's face fell.

"Don't get me wrong, Hinata. He still loves you," said Sasuke softly. Hinata shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"THEN WHY DID HE LEAVE?" she yelled.

"He did it for the Leaf!" said Sasuke, taking off his hat, putting it on the bench he was sitting on and putting his hands on her shoulders. Hinata was quiet.

"F-for the Leaf?" she asked softly. Sasuke nodded.

"He did it so that the Akatsuki wouldn't attack anymore. That's why we now have a treaty. It's all because of him," replied Sasuke.

"But I bet he doesn't care about me anymore… He has other things to worry about…" she said quietly.

Sasuke shook his head and looked into Hinata's eyes. "That's not true, Hinata… Naruto always loved you… I wasn't supposed to tell anyone this but… I think you should know…"

_FLASHBACK_

_Sasuke walked past Naruto's room one night, heading to his own room, when he stopped to a sound coming from Naruto's room… Sobbing…_

_Sasuke walked over to the door and knocked lightly. "Naruto? Are you alright?" he asked._

"… _Go away…" was the only response he got. Sasuke hesitated but then slowly opened the door. He saw Naruto on the floor, his head on the edge of the bed, sobbing into the bed sheets._

"_Do you want to talk?" asked Sasuke. Naruto didn't respond._

_Sasuke walked in, got down on his knees beside Naruto and patted his back._

"_S-Sasuke…" Naruto sobbed. "I miss her so much…!" Sasuke, having no experience with girls, only said the first thing that came to his mind._

"_It's alright, Naruto… I'm sure she still loves you…" he said softly._

_Naruto turned around and hugged Sasuke, knocking him off guard, and began to cry into his shoulder._

"_I-I miss Hinata so much!" he wailed._

"_I'm sure you'll see her again someday…" Sasuke assured him. Naruto said no more and cried on into the night…_

_END FLASHBACK_

Hinata couldn't believe what she heard. "H-he actually cried about me…?" she asked slowly. Sasuke nodded and let her shoulders go. Sakura put a hand on her shoulder as realisation struck the young Hyuga. Naruto DID love her! Hinata looked at the ground for a few seconds and then looked up at Sasuke. "What do I have to do?"

"Just talk to him. If anyone can help him get over his fear, it's you," replied Sasuke.

Hinata nodded and entered the Hokage's office to tell her that she was leaving to go and see Naruto. Having told her this, they left for the hideout.

Upon arriving, both shinobi entered the hideout and were greeted by Pain.

"Greetings… Hinata, was it? Thank you for coming. We certainly are in a bit of a mess around here," said Pain kindly to his guest. Hinata smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. If it's for Naruto, I'll do it," she replied confidently. Pain smiled.

"That's good to hear. Sasuke, why don't you lead our guest to Naruto," suggested Pain. Sasuke nodded. Suddenly, Pain became sad. "Oh, and, Hinata?" he called after her. She turned to face him. "Just be prepared for what you might see… You too, Sasuke…" he said before turning to leave for his beloved throne.

The two headed down the hall and, as they reached Naruto's room, Konan left it. She quietly shut the door and, sighing, leaned up against it. She noticed Sasuke and Hinata walking down the hall.

"Oh. Hello there, Sasuke. And you must be… Hinata, right? Naruto always told us so much about you. It's obvious that he likes you a lot," she smiled, though, from her pale face, it was clear that everything was not alright. Hinata smiled as she addressed her.

"Is he alright?" asked Sasuke. Konan sighed.

"Far from it, Sasuke… Far from it…" she looked to Hinata, hope in her eyes. "If you can't save him, no one can," Konan said, opening the door. "Just be prepared for what you see…"

Sasuke and Hinata looked at each other before slowly entering the room. What greeted them… was an awful sight…

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: *whimpers* Will I live…?_

_Me: *sighs* Naruto, what's the name of the show…?_

_Naruto… Umm… Naruto: Shippuden?_

_Me: I think it's post-Shippuden…_

_Naruto: *shrugs* Ya know, this was your longest chapter ever!_

_Me: Woohoo! 8 PAGES!_

_Naruto: You're doing well!_

_Me: Yup! But I need inspiration so please R&R!_


	8. Saving Naruto

Chapter 8: Saving Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: I'M GONNA LIVE!_

_Hinata: HE LOVES ME!_

_Me: SHUT UP!_

_Naruto & Hinata: *whimpers*_

_Me: *grins* Now, while I tear these two's heads off, please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Sasuke and Hinata looked at each other before slowly entering the room. What greeted them… was an awful sight…

Naruto lay on the bed in front of them, pale and breathing heavily. He was incredibly thin and his muscle tissue had almost completely disintegrated. It was as if there was hardly anything left. He couldn't even sweat anymore. His body was heating up and could barely cope and his heart rate was speeding up.

"His vision has dimmed significantly and he's rather confused. I can't guarantee he'll recognise you. He couldn't recognise Kisame or Itachi when they came to visit this morning," said Konan kindly as she walked in behind them.

Hinata wanted to look away from her ex-boyfriend. She wanted to run away. She couldn't look at him like this.

"We'll leave you two alone," said Sasuke. The two shinobi walked out the door, closing it behind her. Reluctantly, Hinata sat on the bed beside him and pushed some of his golden hair out of the way of his pale face, revealing the whisker marks on his thin cheeks.

Naruto felt her warm hands touching his skin and stirred in his sleep, finally opening his bright blue – yet now dulled- eyes. His unfocused gaze rested on Hinata and he immediately thought that he was hallucinating.

Hinata smiled kindly at him as Naruto stared at her, unable to look away. Hinata had become strikingly beautiful. Her blue-black hair hung around her shoulders and set off her pale face and eyes beautifully. She wore a lavender sleeveless dress that went down to her knees and had the Hyuga symbol near the top. There was a strip of lavender fabric tied across her slim waist with a white flower on the left side. She looked breath-taking and there was no way that Naruto couldn't recognise her. This was Hinata. The girl he loved.

Naruto tried to speak but was hushed by her. "I was told what happened. Naruto you don't have to be afraid of water. Will you drink something?" Naruto shook his head. "For me?" she tried again but Naruto only shook his head.

"Water… only hurts people… Hinata…" Naruto croaked, his throat dry and painful.

Hinata stroked his face. "Water doesn't hurt me, does it?" she asked kindly. Naruto paused to think. "And not drinking won't be good for you. You'll die, Naruto." Naruto saw her eyes begin to glitter and then felt something fall on his cheek. "Please don't go away for real this time…" she sobbed.

Naruto became overwhelmed with fatigue and began to close his eyes again but Hinata shook him awake again. She lifted a glass of water off his bedside table and held it to him.

Naruto looked at her in disbelief. "You don't seriously want me to drink that…" he croaked.

"Well… Yes," she chuckled, tears still running down her face.

"No way. You'll have to get Hidan and mayonnaise together before I drink that…" he stated defiantly.

"Oh. Well in that case…" Hinata magically pulled a jar of mayonnaise from nowhere, set down the cup of water and walked slowly towards the door.

"No! Wait! I'll do it! Hidan is drunk around this time of day!" he yelled, perking up a little. Hinata smiled triumphantly and sat back down. She picked up the water and pressed it to Naruto's lips. Within seconds of his first sip, Naruto grabbed her hand and gulped down the rest thirstily, coughing when he had finished. Within seconds, Naruto had sunk into his pillow again and was fast asleep. The jar of mayonnaise magically disappeared and went outside the room to tell the others the good news.

Hinata exited to find the entire Akatsuki – bar Hidan and Kakuzu - tensed up and leaning against a wall. Hinata smiled and took the empty glass out from behind her back and held it upside down to show that it was empty, smiling triumphantly. The Akatsuki members – once again, bar Hidan and Kakuzu - relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Hinata," they chorused before Konan and Kisame shuffled into Naruto's room to check on him.

Then, without warning, Kakuzu ran quickly down the hall. "Guys! Hidan has MAYONNAISE!" he yelled. Pain gasped.

"Quick! Deidara! Get the butter!" he yelled.

"Yes sir!" yelled Deidara. "What about the milk?"

"Yes! And the bottle! Everyone, protect yourselves!" cried Pain before running down the hall at full speed. Deidara ran towards the kitchen while Pain, Zetsu, Tobi, Sasori and Kakuzu ran down the hall.

Hinata, confused by all of this, entered Naruto's room. "Hey, guys?"

The two shinobi turned around. "What's so bad about Hidan and mayonnaise?" she asked.

The two missing-nin looked at each other before looking back at her and saying, "It's better that you don't know," unanimously.

"Well… Kakuzu just ran down the hall saying that he had some and-" the two shinobi ran past her before she'd finished speaking and ran in the direction of a crash and a long string of drunken curses.

Hinata sighed. "Well, I suppose it's just you and me the-" she was cut off by a loud-

"%"$^&$%^&()^$%^~#!%*%&$"%&*(^%$£$^*^$"!"£$%&())(*&^%$£"!*&^%$£""£$%^!" coming from down the hall.

"What the heck!" she exclaimed as she heard a crash which woke Naruto slightly.

"What happened, Hinata?" he asked groggily.

"Apparently, Hidan has mayonnaise…"

Naruto's eyes went wide with fear. "Shouldn't you be helping the-" Naruto winced as he was cut off by another large crash. Hinata made up her mind to go and see what the matter was. When she arrived she saw Pain's throne room completely wrecked. His throne was broken and in the middle of the room, Hidan was covered with butter and was silently lying on his back, innocently drinking milk from a baby's bottle.

Hinata's eye twitched and she quickly turned around and headed back to Naruto.

"They're fine…" she sighed as she entered. Naruto was sleeping again so she stayed quiet and sat down beside him. When the others came back, she would announce that she had to leave. She headed out a few hours after that but not before bidding goodbye to her sweet, sweet Naruto…

_NARUTO_

_Me: *sniff*_

_Naruto: What?_

_Me: *cries* THAT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ENDING!_

_Hinata: I KNOW!_

_Naruto: What? I only lived. It's not like you care. You threatened me with a chainsaw this morning._

_Me: And now I'll threaten to lock you in a closet and set it on fire._

_Naruto: Eep…_

_Me: Thanks for reading! Please R&R! Your opinion counts!_


	9. Tobi's Pets

Chapter 9: Tobi's Pets

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Pets?_

_Me & Tobi: Yep!_

_Naruto: The heck?_

_Me: Don't you like animals?_

_Naruto: *thinks* Hmm… No. Especially not is Tobi owns them._

_Me: *sighs* Just do you were told to do in the script… Please enjoy the story!_

_Naruto: *in background reading script* A llama?_

_Me: *sighs and shakes head exasperatedly*_

_NARUTO_

A llama… Yes… A llama… Worst of all, a ninja llama. It was Tobi's new pet. So far it had chewed the seats up, pulled off Naruto's covers while he was sleeping (and ate them), pulled out Pain's chakra receivers and ate Hidan's secret supply of mayonnaise.

The Akatsuki – bar Tobi – had a meeting to discuss what should be done. The llama had to go. But how?

Naruto hatched a plan in his mind which the others approved of. Now… All they needed was some mayo…

Dollops of mayo lined the floor out of the hideout. The llama followed and ate and ate the mayo and suddenly… the stupid beast went right over a cliff while skipping after the mayo. The Akatsuki cheered. Operation: Get Rid of the Llama (as Pain had so cleverly named it), was as success.

"MAURICE!" wailed a high pitched voice behind them. The Akatsuki turned.

"Oh #%^," said Hidan. "Uh oh! Guy tears! Gotta go!" he yelled, running off at full speed.

"WIMP!" yelled Sasuke and Naruto simultaneously. Surprisingly, everyone began to feel sorry for Tobi and Maurice.

"Great Ryo! He's back!" yelled Kakuzu pointing down the cliff to see Maurice, the ninja llama trotting up the walls using chakra. Everyone moaned while Tobi hugged the llama.

"YAY! HE LIVED!" he cried. Shortly after saying this, the llama blew up and Tobi was blown away. Deidara began smirking as he put away detonating clay.

"THREE CHEERS FOR DEIDARA!" hollered Pain.

Tobi cried. "MAURICE!" he wailed. Suddenly, he stopped and smiled. "Oh well… I got a new pet anyway!"

"!" they yelled and ran.

"What? It was only a bunny…" said Tobi in wonder.

_Inside the base…_

The Akatsuki looked out the window in fear.

"Do you think it's a ninja too?" asked Itachi in a panic.

"I don't know!" wailed Zetsu.

"We should all stay calm so we can come up with a pl-" Sasuke was cut off by Naruto.

"He's coming in!" he yelled.

"Duck and cover!" yelled Pain.

Tobi entered holding his bunny which was silently twitching its nose in his arms. It was a cute little thing with black fur, white spots and floppy ears but no one trusted it. They had trusted the llama and that got them to this point.

"At least it's not an ostrich…" said Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto both shuddered at the thought of Condor, the ninja ostrich and his ninja animals.

"What's so bad about ostriches?" asked Itachi.

"You don't know, Itachi… You don't know…" they said in monotone, shuddering again.

"So… Any ideas to get rid of the animal?" asked Kisame. All eyes turned to Naruto for guidance.

"Hey. The bunny hasn't done anything yet and- WAIT!" Naruto got another idea. Everyone listened. "Are we gonna kill the thing?" Everyone nodded. "So, why doesn't Sasuke just fry it with a Fireball Jutsu when Tobi isn't looking?" Sasuke was pushed from his hiding place when Tobi left. He ran through hand signs (snake, bird, monkey, boar, horse and tiger) and tried to fry it. It was never to happen as the bunny was indeed a ninja… with a water chakra nature. Sasuke was struck back with a Water Dragon Jutsu and went flying into the back of the sofa which fell over on impact.

The bunny just sat there, its beady little eyes surveying everything around it.

"Right. That's it," said Naruto, rolling up his sleeves for emphasis. He picked up the bunny, walked into the kitchen and put it in the microwave. Before shutting the door, the bunny gave him a cute, pleading look… and Naruto's heart melted.

"Aww… How could anyone kill you…?" said Naruto.

"Do you think he killed it?" asked Itachi in the other room. No sooner had he said this than the bunny hopped into the room, Naruto following.

"I couldn't do it!" he whined. "He gave me a pleading look!"

"We'll just have to come up with another plan…" said Pain.

"Got one!" yelled Naruto. "Now… All we need is one thing… TO THE FOREST!" he yelled.

Naruto appeared at the base about 10 minutes later with a smile on his face.

"Where were you?" asked Konan.

"Taking care of some business…" smiled Naruto.

"WOW! TMI! Why didn't you just use the bathroom?" asked Sasuke, completely repulsed.

"No! Not that kind of business! I was looking for a friend!" Naruto retorted.

"What kind of friend?" asked Sasuke. No sooner had he said this than a sleek, orange fox with a long, slender, bushy tail trotted into the room behind Naruto. Naruto emitted a low growling sound from the back of his throat which the fox seemed to respond to. The fox growled back and headed off into the base.

"What was that about?" asked Zetsu.

"That's my friend. His name is Kitsune," said Naruto.

"And… you can speak to him?" asked Deidara.

"Yea. Does that strike you as odd? I am the vessel for the Nine-Tailed Fox, after all," Naruto said proudly. The Akatsuki nodded in approval as the fox returned, hair stuck to its teeth. Naruto pulled out a cloth and cleaned it off and when he had finished, the fox growled. Naruto growled back, a confused look on his face.

"What did he say?" asked Pain.

"Kitsune is asking if it's alright that he stays with me," explained Naruto.

"You mean, like a partner?" asked Deidara. Naruto nodded in response. Pain nodded at him. Naruto growled at the fox who licked his hand in affection before running off into the base. Naruto barked after him and Kitsune barked back, seeming happy.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" yelled a happy voice. Tobi strode into the base and went in search of his bunny. Minutes later, they thought they heard a girl screaming. "USAGI!" it yelled. Naruto heard a bark.

"What did it say?" asked Sasuke.

"He fainted," replied Naruto bluntly.

_A week later…_

"Hey Kitsune?"  growled Naruto.

"Yes?" replied the fox.

"How well do you like snake?"

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Was this a plot point?_

_Me: Uh-huh._

_Naruto: So… I get an animal partner?_

_Me: Yea._

_Naruto: Cool! I always wanted one!_

_Me: Well, now you got one. Please R&R!_


	10. Enter  Kiba 'Orochimaru Attacks'

Chapter 10: Enter – Kiba (Orochimaru Attacks)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: 10__th__ CHAPTER ANNIVERSARY! *balloons rain __down and happy music plays*_

_Naruto: *music stops (like the sound a record makes when it stops)* Yay…_

_Me: What's wrong with you?_

_Naruto: Deidara said I'm weird…_

_Me: But you're supposed to be weird! You're Naruto Uzumaki! That's what makes you, you!_

_Naruto: I suppose so…_

_Me: Please R&R while I cheer him up!_

_NARUTO_

They had been given their orders. They were to find out where Orochimaru was at the present moment. He had moved base and Sasuke was to show Naruto where the bases were so that they could search them and take him down if possible. They had checked another hideout already and it was nearing a month. It was cold and snow coated the ground in a thick blanket, going up to just below their knees.

Kitsune trotted silently through the deep snow alongside his new battle partner as they walked swiftly towards his Western Hideout. Only the top of his head and his little black nose was visible. It was rather cute, actually.

They searched the entire base but found it deserted. After 10 minutes of beginning the journey to the Northern Hideout, Naruto and Kitsune paused.

"What's wrong?" asked Sasuke.

"Hey, Kitsune? Do you smell…?" Naruto sniffed the air, "… dog?" he finished. He was caught off guard by the scent and so forgot to speak to Kitsune in canine language. Kitsune still understood him and barked.

"Dog?" inquired Sasuke.

"That smells like… the heck? That's…!" Naruto yelled. He jumped into the trees and headed off, Kitsune and Sasuke following. Kitsune barked as they reached their destination. They silently jumped down from their tree and into some bushes.

"What the heck is it, Naruto?" demanded Sasuke as they hid in the bush.

"Shh…" Naruto beckoned as two figures walked near them.

"Hey, buddy? Do you smell fox?" asked the boy, sniffing the area. The dog that was with him barked.

Naruto and Sasuke smiled at each other and backed away. After about 10 minutes of climbing through the trees they heard what they wanted to hear.

"So, do you think that Orochimaru will be there?" The dog barked a reply to its master.

Suddenly, Naruto and Sasuke jumped through the trees and passed by them at full speed. The boy saw who Sasuke was but didn't seem to recognise Naruto.

"Sorry Kiba! Orochimaru's ours!" laughed Sasuke as they raced by, leaving Kiba fuming. He ran after the two laughing boys and they eventually stopped running and sat down in a clearing. As they lay on the ground trying to stop laughing, Kiba eventually caught up.

"Sasuke! Orochimaru is ours! We had him first!" yelled Kiba.

"Sorry, Kiba, but he was ours first. We've been trailing him for nearly a month now," stated Sasuke.

"This is our third hideout," giggled Naruto. Kiba looked at Naruto.

"And… who's this…?" asked Kiba.

"Seriously! Does no one tell anyone anything?" fumed Naruto, angry that his friends hadn't even told Kiba that he was alive.

"Tell anyone what?" asked Kiba. Akamaru sniffed the air, caught his scent and barked at Kiba who, for a second looked shocked. "You must have a cold or something! There's no way!" exclaimed Kiba.

"The dog speaks the truth!" laughed Naruto.

"Wait… You understood him…?" asked Kiba.

"Of course. When my powers as the Nine-Tails vessel developed I became able to understand foxes," stated Naruto.

"But Akamaru isn't a fox," said Sasuke dumbly. Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Foxes are canines like dogs…" he sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh…" Sasuke replied.

Kitsune wandered over to Akamaru and the two began to sniff each other to see if the other could be trusted. Both gave satisfied yaps causing their partners to smile.

"But… how can you be him…?" asked Kiba, getting back on topic. "I saw him die…"

"Yea… About that… I lied. I took Mandrake juice. Itachi's idea," said Naruto, no longer laughing and now very serious.

"So… that… really is you…?" he asked, dumbfounded by the sudden news.

"Believe it," replied Naruto, a small smirk appearing on his face. Kiba stared at his for a few seconds, his thoughts running a mile a minute and was snapped out of it when Naruto stood up and began to brush dirt off himself. Sasuke followed his example and followed him as they began to walk away.

"Wait!" yelled Kiba as they walked out of the clearing. Naruto turned.

"What," he said simply, eyes devoid of emotion.

"Why did you leave?" he demanded. Kitsune began to growl and bark at Kiba, though non-violently. "For the Leaf…" Kiba mumbled. Picking up what he was saying.

Naruto turned and began to walk away while Kiba stared after him. _'Did Naruto shrugging me off like __I'm nothing to him anymore? I thought we were friends…'_ thought Kiba, all hopes of reigniting his friendship with Naruto becoming extinguished.

Akamaru whimpered as his new friend reluctantly followed Naruto. They wanted to stay with their new friends but they couldn't disobey their masters and so reluctantly parted.

The Akatsuki shinobi eventually wound up outside Orochimaru's base. Both shinobi entered and did the same thing they did in every other base. They searched it… while singing "Toreador" quietly, yet happily to themselves… Yes kids. Shinobi know French.

Nothing. Just like every other hideout. They sighed, feeling slightly irritated. Suddenly, Sasuke grew happy. Looking at Naruto, he frowned slightly.

"Why so glum, chum?" he asked happily.

"Don't you rhyme with me," he scowled.

"What's the problem?" he inquired curiously.

"You are. You're happy so I'm emo… apparently…" explained Naruto in a harsh, monotone voice. Sasuke shrugged it off and they continued to walk.

On the way to the next base, they once again ran into Kiba. However, Hinata and Shino were with him this time. Team 8. Naruto half expected Kurenai to be with them but he quickly reminded himself that her child would only be 2 or 3 years old and Asuma certainly couldn't take care of it. Hidan and Kakuzu made certain of that.

Naruto and Sasuke dismissed them and headed on ahead, determined to get there before Team 8 did. They had planned to take a break when they got closer to the hideout but they now saw that wasn't happening. They had to complete Pain's orders, get there first and take out Orochimaru if possible. If that was impossible, they were to get information.

As they neared the hideout, Naruto began to get skittish. They were walking in a forest by a river and Naruto kept looking over his shoulder at it nervously. There was a large hill covered by trees, greatly obstructing the view. Falling down it wouldn't be wise and would probably result in serious injury as it would be a long fall and most of the rocks were jagged. Sasuke frowned at his teammate.

"Naruto?" he asked.

"Uh… Yea?" Naruto responded, tensing up a little.

"Are you alright?" he asked him. "You keep looking at that river. Is there something wrong with it?"

"Uh… N-no! There's nothing wrong!" he stammered defensively, putting on a fake smile. Sasuke shook his head and let the matter rest. He could see light through the trees up ahead and knew that they were nearing the beach.

"Some time of year to go to the beach, eh Naruto?" Sasuke chuckled.

"Yea! Who goes to the beach on a day like this?" Naruto responded. "I-in fact… W-why don't we come back later when it's not as cold?" Naruto suggested quickly. Sasuke chuckled.

"Why would we do that?" he laughed.

"U-umm… W-well…"

"You're no afraid, are you?" asked Sasuke.

"NO! No… I'm not… Let's just get this over with…" he mumbled in response.

"Well, well, well… Aren't we brave little Akatsuki's…" said a cold voice from behind them. Both shinobi spun around.

"Orochimaru!" growled Naruto. Kitsune got into a defensive position and growled. "Kitsune! Language!" snapped Naruto.

"What did he say?" asked Sasuke.

"I… uh… don't feel comfortable repeating it…" Naruto responded uneasily.

"Are we going to be getting back on topic anytime soon?" hissed Orochimaru.

"Oh… Right… Let's start this over again," responded Sasuke.

"Orochimaru!" growled Naruto.

"Better. Now, I think you know why I'm here, boys…" Orochimaru said, looking at Sasuke.

"You're not taking me back!" shouted Sasuke.

"I'm not just here for you… Being a Jinchuuriki, I can run useful experiments on him…" Orochimaru chuckled coldly.

"You're sick and twisted!" growled Sasuke.

"Why, thank you…" he hissed sarcastically. He threw back his head and began to spit up snakes en masse, taking steps towards Sasuke with every attack, bent on taking him first. Naruto, Kitsune and Sasuke managed to dodge the blast of snakes that was thrown at them. They all disappeared in a puff of smoke as Naruto, Kitsune and Sasuke landed lightly on the ground.

Orochimaru continued with the onslaught, each time spitting out more snakes and doing it faster. Sasuke tapped Naruto on the shoulder and pointed at Orochimaru as he made a hand seal and suddenly began spitting out snakes again with a bit of a difference.

The snakes that they all dodged exploded on impact, covering them with snake blood. Naruto had to flick a snake's internal organs off himself when a string of them landed on his shoulder with a squelch, leaving a line of crimson snake blood behind.

As Orochimaru got too close to Sasuke for him to move, he fired snakes at Sasuke. Naruto stood himself between Sasuke and Orochimaru just as he was about to be hit.

"Naruto!" yelled Sasuke as Naruto was flung over the hill and out of sight. _'Damn! He's not giving me any holes! I can't fight him alone!'_ thought Sasuke in a panic and made the decision to run. He would go down by the river and find Naruto when he believed that he could get by without trouble. Naruto would just have to hang on.

"You're not getting away!" he hissed.

A few of the next snakes he summoned next exploded by Sasuke's right side, injuring his arm and leg and knocking him over. Kitsune, who hadn't been blown away with his master, supported Sasuke as he got up. Picking up the fox with his left arm, he escaped with a Body Flicker Jutsu.

"Curses! Kabuto!" Orochimaru yelled. Kabuto appeared beside him.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru?" he responded, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Make sure Sasuke doesn't get away," he ordered.

"What about the Jinchuuriki?" asked Kabuto.

"I'm sure we won't have any trouble with him…" responded Orochimaru.

Kabuto nodded and left.

Meanwhile, Sasuke collapsed in the snow near a tree in a densely forested area, satisfied that no one would see them and cradled his leg with his good arm. Kitsune licked his leg to clear some of the blood off it that was currently giving the snow a crimson colour.

"Thanks…" Sasuke mumbled, patting him on the head. "We'll find Naruto later when I can walk again…" he promised.

Kitsune whined and lay down in the snow beside Sasuke who looked down at it. Kitsune was looking up at him with a stern look. Sasuke smiled, pulled to fox across his knees and fell asleep…

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Do I die?_

_Me: *eye twitches* That could possibly be the most ridiculous question I've ever heard…_

_Naruto: I know you want me dead!_

_Me: How could I want you dead?_

_Naruto: You let Ryuga sic Lightning L-Drago on me!_

_Me: *thinks about earlier chapters* … I did?_

_Naruto: YOU DON'T REMEMBER!_

_Me: Too right I don't! Please R&R! I value your opinions!_


	11. Frozen

Chapter 11: Frozen

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: You never answered my "Will I die" question._

_Me: *pulls out sword* Shut it._

_Naruto: Eep… Ok. Wait… I thought you said I was hotter than Sasuke yesterday!_

_Me: Yea? So?_

_Naruto: Then why are you trying to kill me?_

_Me: Just because you look good, that doesn't mean I can't kill you… Wait… You're stronger than me? Why don't you just kill me before I can kill you?_

_Naruto: 1) Plot no Jutsu. You'll just come right back, as will I. 2) Without you, there would be no story. 3) You can just break the 4__th__ wall and sic something or someone random on me, like the wolves from Wolf's Rain or Lugia from Pokémon. __I know how much you love that thing. __And 5) I won't sink to your level._

_Me: Yayness! I have a level! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto lay in the river in a daze. His legs and arms had been badly damaged in the explosion and torn apart by the rocks but he was capable of walking… But only barely…

The water of the river was running red as the blood that poured from his wounds was washed away by the slow current.

Naruto suddenly became aware of the cold water around him, panicked and slowly and painfully pulled himself from the icy water and collapsed into the snow on the river bank on his side, dying it a deep, crimson red. Naruto panted heavily as he lay there in the deep snow, shivering, blood loss making him very tired as it began to snow until he eventually had a thin layer over him.

He slowly closed his eyes and had begun to let sleep take over him when he heard a dog bark. He heard muffled voices and feet in the snow as they ran towards him.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" he heard a shy, female voice ask him. Naruto lay there, eyes shut as someone rolled him over. "Is he alright, Kiba?" asked the girl. Naruto felt the one who he believed to be Kiba check his pulse.

"He's fine, Hinata. Just freezing," he heard Kiba reply.

"We should get him back to the cave we just passed and light a fire," said a monotone voice who Naruto believed to be Shino.

Kiba lifted Naruto up and set him on something furry that was obviously Akamaru who barked as he was set on him. Naruto buried himself in the dog's warm fur and let sleep take him…

_With Sasuke…_

Sasuke woke up to notice that it was snowing. Kitsune was still asleep on his knees and he immediately noticed that his arm and leg had stopped bleeding and felt numb, probably because of the cold.

Kitsune stirred in Sasuke's lap and woke up. The fox yipped happily and licked his face.

"Do you want to go and find Naruto?" he asked. Kitsune wagged his tail and got off him. Sasuke pulled himself up and swayed on his feet before finding his balance.

The two set off through the trees in search of their friend. They carefully climbed down the hill and crossed the river. They weren't far away from where Naruto fell and Sasuke was sure they would find him.

_With Naruto…_

Naruto stirred as he began to regain consciousness. He felt hands on his arm and a warm sensation spread through his arm where the hand was. Naruto immediately recognised the feeling. It was the Mystical Palm Technique. The medical ninjutsu that allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into a wound or afflicted body part, or so Sakura had told him.

He found that he wasn't able to move and his body felt cold and heavy. All of his energy had been drained from him and he was barely able to open his eyes. When he did, all he could see were blurs. He allowed his vision to clear and was eventually able to see Hinata beside him, using the technique.

Hinata finished with his arm and moved onto his stomach. Naruto closed his eyes again and tensed as she put her hand down, which caused her to look up at his face.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes again and gazed weakly into her beautiful, yet sad looking silver/lavender eyes.

"Why is it that every time is see you now, it's because your hurt?" she said sadly, looking away from him. "I don't like seeing you like this, Naruto…" She began to work on his stomach, suddenly not caring if she was gentle or not. Naruto winced as she pressed down too hard on his stomach.

"Are you even going to talk to me?" she asked, a little more harshly than before. She looked straight into Naruto's face. Naruto tried to speak but his vocal chords picked exactly that time to fail him so he whispered something. Hinata couldn't hear him and leaned closer.

"I'm sorry… Hinata…" he whispered, his voice squeaking slightly. Hinata just sighed and got back to her work, only doing it a little lighter this time.

Kiba and Akamaru came in just was she was finished and moved on to his leg. "How is he?" he asked. Naruto noted a hint of concern in his voice.

"He'll be fine. A three days' rest should do it," she replied.

"So, we have to stay here for three days?" exclaimed Kiba.

"That or we find Sasuke and who knows where he is?" stated Hinata. The reality came down on Naruto like a ton of bricks. He summoned all his might and tried to sit up. Hinata tried to push him back down but he weakly pushed her hand away.

"Dude, you should lie down and rest-" Kiba was cut off.

"I have to… find Sasuke…" Naruto croaked.

"You can find him later…" said Hinata softly.

"No… Orochimaru is… after him… I have to… go now…"

"I'll find Shino and we'll both look for him. You stay here with Hinata and rest," suggested Kiba.

Naruto shook his head and tried to stand up but fatigue took over and he collapsed, panting heavily. Kiba was silent.

"I'll find Shino. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," he ordered and bolted in the direction Shino went before Hinata could say anything.

Hinata sighed and watched as the man she loved quickly fell into a deep sleep.

_With Sasuke…_

"Can you smell him yet, Kitsune?" asked Sasuke as Kitsune sniffed the air. It was almost as if Kitsune sighed. His tail went down and he whined sadly. Sasuke smiled. "It's alright. We'll keep looking for him," he said, patting the fox's head.

Kitsune perked up and went on ahead. He stopped after about 10 minutes, sniffing the air. He bolted across the river to a spot in the snow on the other side and began to dig. Sasuke bent down beside him as he unearthed what he was digging. The snow was dyed a deep, crimson red.

"Blood…" whispered Sasuke as Kitsune sniffed it. He barked and wagged his tail before sniffing at the ground around it. "So, Naruto was here…"

Kitsune bolted to the right and stopped, waiting for Sasuke to follow. Without hesitation, he got up and ran after the fox.

They walked for a good 20 minutes before seeing something walk towards them. Kitsune yapped and ran onwards, not waiting for Sasuke. When Sasuke ran over he found Kitsune and Akamaru play-fighting in the snow.

"Sasuke! Thank goodness we found you!" exclaimed Kiba. Shino stood silently beside him.

"Have you seen Naruto? I can't find him anywhere and he's hurt," stated Sasuke, hoping that they had seen him.

"That's why we're here. He was more worried about you than he was about himself," replied Kiba.

"He's with Hinata. She's looking after him," said Shino bluntly.

"How bad is it?" asked Sasuke.

"Hinata said he needed 3 days' rest. Sorry, Sasuke. You're stuck," shrugged Kiba. Sasuke sighed.

"Oh well… At least I found him…" he said, relieved. Kiba motioned for Sasuke to follow him and literally barked an order at Akamaru who instantly stopped what he was doing. Sensing that he was going to see his master, Kitsune got up and followed, looking rather ecstatic.

Kitsune smelled Naruto as they neared the cave and bounded on ahead, waiting near the cave until Sasuke came.

Kiba rounded the corner and entered the cave, Sasuke and Shino following him. Hinata sighed in relief as she saw Sasuke enter.

Sasuke half collapsed beside his sleeping partner. Hinata's technique had only mildly healed his injuries and there were a lot of burns and gashes covering his arms and legs but the thing that stood out most was the deep gash that went over his eye down the left side of his face. It was the one thing that Hinata's technique couldn't lessen the severity of and would more than likely scar.

Sasuke was silent when he saw the gash. When he finally spoke, his voice was squeaky.

"… This could have been me… He just had to jump in front of me, didn't he…?" he said sadly.

Kiba put a hand on his shoulder. "That's just the kind of guy he is…" he said comfortingly. Sasuke didn't respond. He only stared at the gash that still had small trails of blood trickling from it as the scab formed on it.

He turned around and put on a fake smile. "Thank you…" he said sadly. "If you want to complete your mission, don't let us stop you…" They all nodded and, a few minutes later, they left.

Kitsune walked over to Naruto and licked the blood away from his face. Naruto stirred as Kitsune's rough tongue rubbed his cheek. Sasuke turned around to put another piece of wood on the fire as Naruto opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Kitsune. He slowly raised a hand and scratched his chin.

Sasuke turned around as Naruto put his hand down by his side again and smiled up at him.

"Thank goodness… Sasuke…" he mumbled.

"You shouldn't have jumped in front of me…" said Sasuke.

"I had to… stop you… from getting hurt… Sasuke…"

"You shouldn't have…"

"You… know me… Sasuke…" Naruto smiled. "I wouldn't… let it… happen…"

Sasuke sighed. "Pain's gonna kill us when we don't complete our mission…"

"Maybe… we won't… but 'he'… can…" gasped Naruto. The reality dawned on Sasuke. Their mission COULD be completed.

Sasuke crossed his legs and performed a hand seal. "Initiate plan B-12…"

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: What does B-12 stand for?_

_Me: Beta 12._

_Naruto: Why that?_

_Me: *shrugs* It sounded professional…_

_Naruto: Do you know that Alpha means 'does not work'?_

_Me: And Beta means 'still does not work'._

_Naruto: Did your sister tell you that?_

_Me: Yea. You?_

_Naruto: Yup._

_Me: Please R&R!_


	12. Art is an Explosion

Chapter 12: Art is an Explosion

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Oh! Wait!_

_Naruto: What?_

_Me: It's a very special day today!__ (depending on whether this is 4__th__ July or not!)_

_Gaara, Temari & Kankuro: Its Baki's birthday!_

_Baki: Aww… You guys remembered…_

_Me: *whispers* I only remembered 5 minutes ago… *shouts* Ready?_

_Entire crew – bar Baki: Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday, dear Baki…_

_Happy birthday to you!_

_Me: *brings out huge cake*_

_Naruto: *whispers* How did you make cake in 5 minutes?_

_Me: *whispers* I invoked Plot no Jutsu. *speaks louder as Baki opens presents* Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"Initiate plan B-12…" said Sasuke.

"Roger that. Attack commencing," responded the Akatsuki positioned not too far away. He got up and ran towards the base. Climbing a tree outside it, he jumped to the roof, pulled something white out of a small pouch at his waste, threw something at the roof and grinned.

"I've been waiting all day for this moment… Time to show Orochimaru… that my art… IS AN EXPLOSION!"

He made a hand seal and the roof exploded in front of him.

Orochimaru spun around to look at the dust cloud, sure that it was Sasuke. His hopes were dashed when he saw the man who stood in front of him.

"Well, hello there, Orochimaru…" smiled the Akatsuki member.

"Well, well… If it isn't another Akatsuki…" said Orochimaru coldly.

"Time to die, hmm…"

"I wouldn't count on it, Deidara!" hissed Orochimaru.

The man, revealed to be Deidara, pulled out more clay, moulding it in his hands. Orochimaru didn't wait for him to finish. He coughed up his Sword of Kusanagi. It glowed with an eerie, green light as he charged at him, prepared finish him off as quickly as possible.

Deidara finished with his clay and fired it at Orochimaru. The clay was in the shape of small spiders which were released in a large blast. Orochimaru jumped to the side and a hole was blown in the wall. What he didn't notice were the few spider bombs that crawled up his back.

Deidara was about to form a hand seal when there was a large bang and the wall exploded revealing 3 Konoha shinobi and a dog.

"Back off! He's mine!" barked Deidara. Akamaru growled at him.

"Sorry, but it was our mission too!" grinned Kiba.

"I s-suppose that means w-we're on the same side…" said Hinata, a little embarrassed to be working with an Akatsuki who she had been told to kill until recently.

"I suppose it does… However… I was just about to win this!" yelled Deidara, making the hand seal. The spiders exploded, causing Orochimaru to scream in pain. He fell to the ground charred and bleeding. "Hmm…" he said, putting his hands by his side.

"How did you beat him so quickly…?" asked a bewildered Shino.

"The same way I beat the Kazekage… It's pretty simple… All I had to do was distract him with a frontal attack and then get some of my clay art on his back without him noticing…" he stated. They were all brought from their conversation by a door being flung open revealing Kabuto who had heard the explosion and came running.

"Lord Orochimaru! Are you alright?" he bellowed, picking up Orochimaru.

"Kabuto! End them!" hissed Orochimaru as he stood up.

Kabuto stood up with Orochimaru and chakra began to surround his hands. He held them out in front of himself.

"Alright, kids… Look out for those chakra scalpels… They can cause major internal damage…" said Deidara. If he was going to be on their side, he may as well have treated them like actual people and not like he despised them (which he had no reason to do).

"Right!" the Konoha shinobi chorused. Shino began raise his arms and bugs swarmed from under his sleeves which Kabuto easily cut through with his chakra scalpels and Orochimaru picked up his sword and began to violently attack and hack at Kiba.

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

Naruto pulled himself up with great effort and looked at Sasuke sternly. "You should help them Sasuke…" he said weakly. He had gotten a little of his strength back but no matter what he did, he couldn't stand.

"No way," he stated. "Something bad happens every time you're left alone."

"But everyone needs help and I can look after myself," he said.

Sasuke dismissed it. "They can look after themselves too. Deidara's with them."

"I'll only be sitting here. What's the worst that could happen?"

Sasuke paused. Naruto was right. What was the worst that could happen? And if anything did happen, Kitsune was here. Sleeping, but here. He could protect him. Sasuke quickly shook the thoughts away. He wasn't losing this argument.

"No way! What if someone came along and found you?"

Naruto got angry. His eyes became red and his pupils became slitted. "You're going…" he said calmly, "and you're going NOW!" he yelled, waking Kitsune with a start. Sasuke yelped and shuffled back a bit before regaining his composure.

"No! You're already going to be scarred for life because of me! I won't let anything worse hap-" Naruto swung his hand up to Sasuke's face, putting a sharp nail just above his left eye.

"I wonder what a scar would look like on you…?" he said both in wonder and harshly, tracing on Sasuke's face where his scar would be with his nail, threatening to cut deeply. Sasuke paused at the threat. "GO!" bellowed Naruto. Sasuke quickly scrambled out of the cave.

There was a long pause. "Do you really think he deserved that, master?" asked Kitsune.

"Deserved, no. Needed, yes," growled Naruto in response before he lay back down and, once again, attempted to sleep. Kitsune refused to fall asleep and stood guard, just daring anyone to come near them.

_With Deidara and Team 8…_

"No way… This isn't logical…" gasped Shino as their opponents continued their onslaught. Logical or not, they were losing… badly… Kabuto began to fire poison-tipped senbon at the young shinobi which were caught by Deidara's clay but Orochimaru was also hacking at them and firing snakes, but was now running through hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" he hissed. A burst of wind came from Orochimaru knocking his opponents into a wall. Kabuto held desperately to the door frame as the wind threatened to blow him away like the others.

Orochimaru smirked as the winds died down and the Konoha ninja – and Deidara – slumped to the ground. Lifting his sword, he began to advance on Deidara.

"Die!" he yelled, lifting his sword high above his head. Just as he was about to bring the sword down, a voice from above stopped him.

"Not so fast…"

"Well, well… I was wondering when you'd join us, Sasuke…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: Oooh… Plot twist…_

_Baki: Has everyone forgotten about me?_

_Gaara: Unfortunately for you, yes…_

_Baki: You're so mean, Kazekage…_

_Naruto: Will this start being Japanese anytime soon?_

_Me: Probably… I'm watching the subs now… Episode 108 of Shippuden to be precise._

_Naruto: Ah…_

_Me: Anyway… Please R&R! I value your opinion!_


	13. Cursed Seal Struggle

Chapter 13: Cursed Seal Struggle

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: So, Sasuke fights now?_

_Sasuke: YES!_

_Me: *points to closet*_

_Naruto & Sasuke: *monotone* We shall not speak without your permission…_

_Me: Good boys. Naruto, be a dear and start the film._

_Naruto: We pre-recorded it?_

_Me: Yup! I recorded it while you were all practicing it! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"Well, well… I was wondering when you'd join us, Sasuke…" hissed Orochimaru. Sasuke simply pulled out his sword and charged it with electricity as Deidara and Team 8 stood up again.

Sasuke jumped at Orochimaru, sword crackling with electricity, only to have it blocked by the Sword of Kusanagi.

Deidara came up behind Kabuto and threw clay spiders at him. Kabuto felt the clay arachnids land on him and immediately started beating them off but a few of the spiders crawled up to his neck where they detonated. Kabuto fell to the floor in flames and smoke, screaming bloody murder.

Hinata was next. She approached Orochimaru and fell into her usual graceful fighting stance. "Byakugan!" she exclaimed, activating her family Kekkei Genkai. Using her Dojutsu to see the chakra points of Orochimaru, she fell into the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms stance while Akamaru and Shino's bugs distracted him.

"2!" she yelled, striking him 2 times. "4, 8, 16, 32! 8 Trigrams 64 Palms!" Orochimaru fell to the floor just as Kabuto failed in an attempt to scramble to his feet, blood pouring out of his neck.

Orochimaru slowly raised his head to look as Kiba and Sasuke approached him.

"This is for all the people you've hurt and the lives you've taken! Man/Beast Clone: Absolute Fang Over Fang!" yelled Kiba as Akamaru changed into an exact replica of Kiba. They struck him as hard as they could with the Inuzuka clans' technique. Orochimaru hissed in pain as he fell. Sasuke approached him slowly and intimidatingly.

"And this… is for what you did to the one I consider my own brother!" bellowed Sasuke, referring to Naruto and forgetting about Naruto's threat to scar him. He brought the sword down hard on Orochimaru, striking him through his back. He screamed and fell silent.

Panting with the effort of the battle, Kabuto hauled himself to his feet. The first thing he saw was the bloodied form of Orochimaru lying on the ground. His eyes went wide and he looked up to see Sasuke standing over his master, pulling a sword from his back.

Just as Sasuke turned his back on the snake-user, Orochimaru's neck elongated and his head shot up behind Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes went wide as he felt a burning pain in his neck. He turned his head to see Orochimaru with his fangs sunk deep into his neck. He let out a cry of pain and pushed Orochimaru off him. Getting out of his range, he collapsed onto the floor, his cursed seal glowing brightly.

Kabuto supported Orochimaru and escaped with a quick Body Flicker jutsu.

Deidara cursed under his breath before turning his gaze to Sasuke who was lying on the floor, sweating with the effort of keeping his seal under control. His eyes were dull and he was suddenly looking very fatigued. Hinata knelt down beside him.

"Byakugan!" she said, activating her family dojutsu. She gasped at what she saw. A foreign chakra was taking control of his system and overloading his chakra network. He simply had too much chakra for his body to handle.

"What's wrong with him?" demanded Deidara.

"The cursed seal is created when Orochimaru puts his own chakra into the bearer's body! Orochimaru has put excess chakra into Sasuke's body and he can't handle it all!" she exclaimed.

Deidara bunched his hands into fists. "That Orochimaru…" he hissed. "If I ever find him I'll blow him to kingdom come!"

"You do that, but for now, we have Sasuke to worry about. Not Orochimaru," said Kiba.

"I'll get to work on disrupting his chakra flow," said Hinata. She put her hands on a cluster of chakra points and got to work on sealing them off. "This won't last for long. We would need someone as skilled as Lady Tsunade to nullify the extra chakra in him," she said.

"Well, can't you keep doing it until we get him to her?" asked Kiba. Hinata shook her head.

"No. If I did, the chakra wouldn't get round his body and he would die," she explained.

"Is there anything else we can do?" asked Shino.

"Well… The seal around his cursed seal has been significantly weakened. If we reseal it, it will isolate the chakra and prevent its progress," stated Hinata.

"Does anyone know any sealing jutsu's?" asked Kiba.

"I know someone who does," said Deidara.

"Are they in the vicinity?" asked Hinata.

"Of course," replied Deidara. He put his hand in a one-handed ram seal and opened a mental link to the person he was talking about. "Hey dude, I need your help with a sealing jutsu… Sasuke needs it… Stop yelling! … I'll tell you about it when I get there… What ya mean ya need to know now?... Look, the girl can explain better than I can… You sure you can do it? … Swear? … Well, then put down the animal and swear!" Team 8 raised their eyebrows in amusement.

"Listen… It's not Tobi that's doing this, is it?" asked Hinata as Deidara dropped the link.

"I wouldn't trust Tobi with a squirrel, never mind a human being. No, this is someone whose clan did sealing jutsu's for a living," responded Deidara.

"So, he's good, right?" asked Shino.

"Yea. I'll get us there," he said. He put his hand in his clay pouch and quickly sculpted a dragon-like creature. He walked outside, threw the clay into the air and made a hand seal. There was a poof and the dragon grew in size. Team 8 helped him haul Sasuke onto the dragon and eventually they climbed on too.

About 20 minutes later, they landed next to the cave they left Naruto in. He looked up as they walked in.

"Alright, put him down," said Naruto, sounding a little irritated for reasons which eluded Team 8. Deidara put Sasuke down and pulled his Akatsuki robe off, baring the cursed seal. "Resealing?" Naruto guessed.

"Orochimaru put more chakra into his seal, apparently," explained Deidara.

"Wait… Naruto's doing this?" asked Kiba, sounding a little shocked.

"Hey, it's not like it's genjutsu we're talking about," said Naruto. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I need more space… And more light…" he mumbled. "Help me get him outside." They pulled Sasuke outside and set him down.

Naruto bit his thumb and drew characters around the seal and down his back. The others sat back and watched him work. Finally, he drew a character on his hand and looked sternly at Sasuke.

"Are you ready? Resealing hurts a lot more than sealing does and lasts a lot longer," he said. Although he felt concern for the man he considered his brother, it wasn't obvious in his face or voice. Sasuke went even paler than he already was and gave him a look that was purely a mixture of shock and horror. "Can you take it?" Sasuke sighed and nodded silently. "Good luck…" Naruto mumbled before slamming his hand on the seal.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as pain wracked his body. He managed to keep himself upright as the sealing continued. He felt the burning chakra in his body move to one point in his body – the cursed seal – and then felt searing pain as the characters moved up his body and towards the seal before being imprinted on his skin, but not before the old one was removed with just as much pain. Just before the jutsu ended, he tried to struggle away.

"Deidara!" yelled Naruto. Deidara ran forward and held Sasuke down. Sasuke fought back tears of pain as the new seal glowed a bright red colour before fading to black. Naruto removed his hand and Deidara let him go. Sasuke fell to the ground in a daze. If one had looked at Naruto's hand, they would have seen it was shaking violently from the sheer effort of the resealing. Resealing was, indeed, something Kakashi would not have been able to do, and he was the one who sealed Sasuke's seal in the first place.

"Is it done?" whimpered Hinata, hating to see her friend in pain. Naruto nodded his head.

"The extra chakra still needs to be removed and unless any of you has a sealing scroll I can't do that," explained Naruto.

Deidara sighed. "Did they tear?" Naruto nodded and pointed to the rocks.

"Ah… Don't you have a summoning tattoo on your arm for those kinds of things?" asked Deidara.

Naruto remembered the tattoo and pulled up his sleeve revealing some bandages on his arm. He began to unwind them to reveal a tattoo very like the one for summoning shuriken that Sasuke possessed except instead of the kanji for shuriken it had the kanji for scroll on it. In a poof, the scroll was in his hand.

Just as Naruto was about to open the scroll, he paused. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking slightly frustrated.

"I don't know…" he sighed.

"What? Can't you do it?" asked Kiba.

"No, I can do it, but doing this right after a sealing could…" he trailed off.

"Could what?" asked Hinata.

"Even if the chakra in his body is isolated, it's still in there. The cursed seal is giving him power. If I removed the power that his body has become so accustomed to after something as painful and tiring for him as a resealing…" he sighed.

"Then just remove what needs to be removed," suggested Shino. Naruto shook his head.

"It doesn't work that way… Argh! This should have been done years ago!" Naruto yelled, getting quite angry.

"So this is just like removing a Tailed Beast?" asked Deidara.

"It's a morbid example, but yes. However, if done in a certain way, if the person has enough chakra, they can survive that," explained Naruto. Deidara looked mortified.

"They can?" he gasped, having never heard of such a thing.

"Yes, but only with a certain clan. My own," stated Naruto. Deidara raised an eyebrow.

"But what does any of this have to do with Sasuke?" asked Kiba.

"The point is that he doesn't have the stamina or endurance to take what I was about to do next. However, if I don't do it now, the seal will break from the effort, and he may not be up for another resealing." As Naruto said this, Sasuke began to shakily pull himself back up.

"Get… the chakra… out…!" he gasped. Naruto's eyes went wide. He had removed chakra and done resealing's before, but he had never seen someone so determined to get it done. He could hear Sasuke's loud and frantic heartbeat with his hypersensitive ears. There was no doubt that he was scared. Naruto gave in.

"… Alright… But this requires a lot of chakra from me too…" Naruto muttered. He spread the scroll onto the ground. His hand glowed blue with chakra and, with one last look at Sasuke, he slammed his hand onto the scroll. "Seal!" he yelled.

TO BE CONTINUED…

_NARUTO_

_Me: Oooh… Cliff-hanger…_

_Naruto: Who dies?_

_Me: I didn't say anyone was dying._

_Itachi: What's this I heard about dying?_

_Me: For the last time… I SAID NOTHING ABOUT ANYONE DYING!... Though someone may die… I suppose it depends on my mood… __Please R&R!_


	14. A Sensei and an Uncle

Chapter 14: A Sensei and an Uncle

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: *drooling*_

_Kisame: Stop watching the food chan- … oysters…_

_Me: I know… right?… You DO realise that oysters aren't fish, right?_

_Kisame: *shocked*_

_Me: They're molluscs…_

_Kisame: … You know, recently I've been learning all fighting styles and how to fight against them._

_Me: *hits him with a book*_

_Kisame: *falls on his face*_

_Me: That's ET style! Learn it! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"… _Alright… But this requires a lot of chakra from me too…" Naruto muttered. He spread the scroll onto the ground. His hand glowed blue with chakra and, with one last look at Sa__suke, he slammed his hand onto the scroll. "Seal!" he yelled._

A large gust of Naruto's chakra flew from his hand on impact to start the sealing and Orochimaru's chakra began to flow slowly into the scroll. Sasuke began to feel his strength leave him in a painful burst and by the time the last of the chakra was absorbed, Sasuke collapsed in a heap.

Naruto had long since begun to feel the effects of the chakra loss and fell forward on his hands, sweating heavily.

"Don't… take your… eyes off him…" Naruto ordered Deidara.

"And what, exactly, will you be doing?" asked Kiba with a matter-of-fact tone, for they had all run to Sasuke's aid and were near Naruto. Naruto's arms gave way from the lack of chakra and sheer exhaustion to answer Kiba's question and he lay on the ground panting and semi-conscious.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Hinata, coming to his aid. Naruto attempted to pull himself back up, but failed, falling painfully on his side. The wound on his face – soon to be scar – reopened and began to bleed badly. Hinata held him down with little effort as he tried to get up again.

Hinata charged her hand with chakra and began to heal his wound. Deidara created a large clay dragon that he called C2 to take them all back to the hideout. They hauled a now-sleeping Sasuke and a semi-conscious Naruto onto the dragon who fell asleep when he was put down.

"Do you kids wanna come too, hmm?" asked Deidara.

"No thanks," said Kiba. "We still have things to do."

"We must return to Lady Tsunade and inform her of what happened here," Shino said in his usual monotone voice.

"Well… If you insist… I suppose I'll be off then, hmm…" Deidara willed his dragon to move, making it fly off towards the Akatsuki hideout at a great pace.

_4 days later…_

Naruto stirred under the sheets of his bed. Groaning, he cracked open his eyes which, to him, felt like they weighed a ton.

"You up, buddy?" he heard a voice beside him say. Finally, he opened his eyes and could see a bluish blur above him.

"… Kisame…?" he mumbled. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. The first thing he saw was Kisame with a shark-like grin plastered on his face.

"Strange, isn't it? How Sasuke could be up 2 days before you?" he grinned. Naruto's eyes widened with panic.

"Damn! I forgot about Sasuke! Is he alright?" Naruto demanded. Kisame laughed.

"Whoa, Naruto! He's fine! Don't worry! Didn't I just say he was up 2 days before you?" he laughed. Naruto sighed with relief. "I'm only here because no one trusts you alone in the infirmary anymore," he explained. Naruto grinned sheepishly at the memory of how he snuck out every time he was left alone in the infirmary.

Naruto looked over at the other beds in the room which were used for other injured people. He realised he couldn't see Sasuke. "Where's Sasuke?" he inquired.

"The bathroom. He should be back in a minute," he explained. "Maybe you should rest until he comes in."

"Yea…" Naruto yawned. Just as Naruto was about to close his eyes again, the door opened and Sasuke walked in looking very tired. He saw Naruto awake and froze on the spot.

"Naruto?" Sasuke inquired.

"Hey Sasuke…" Naruto replied without smiling, his voice brimming with fatigue. Sasuke hurried over to his side and sat down on the side of his bed. "I thought Itachi would be with you…"

"He's off on a mission. He doesn't know what happened yet. What about you? Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"A little tired… You don't look any better than I do…" Naruto summoned the strength to grin and Sasuke chuckled.

"I suppose not…"

"You should go to bed… No sense sitting here if you're tired…" Sasuke smiled at his comment, got up and slipped into his own bed while Naruto closed his eyes and attempted to sleep but it wasn't to be. Kisame got up to go out and as he left, Itachi ran straight down the hall, knocked Kisame to the ground with a loud thud and ran to Sasuke, enveloping in an a massive hug.

"Sasuke! Are you alright? Pain said you were in the infirmary and I was _so_ worried! What happened? Who hurt you? I swear, when I see them, I'll tear them to pieces!" he yelled in a rush. Naruto rolled his eyes. So much for sleep.

"Whoa! Stop for a minute! I'm fine!" yelled Sasuke, pulling himself from Itachi's death grip. He sat up in bed and Itachi began to hurriedly check him over for injuries, constantly asking him if he was alright and whether anything hurt or not. Satisfied with seeing no injuries, he gave a deep sigh of relief.

"Who did this to you?" Itachi demanded again.

"Orochimaru…" Sasuke explained the whole situation to him while Itachi listened intently. He paused when he got to the part about Naruto. "So he did that to me and then… Naruto…" he trailed off, looking at Naruto with pity. Naruto put a hand over his left eye and looked away with an ashamed look in his visible eye. He rolled over and refused to look at them.

"So… He hurt the both of you…" Itachi got up, gave his brother one last hug and left quietly. He stopped briefly and gave one last glance at Sasuke and Naruto. As he walked away, Kitsune trotted by him, jumped on Naruto's bed and curled up beside his master without waking him. Itachi sighed and closed the door behind him.

Kisame stood with his back against the wall, waiting for him. "You're gonna avenge the kids, aren't you?" he inquired. Itachi walked by him without as much as a word. Kisame smirked and walked into the boys' room. Getting into his previous position by Naruto's bed, he waited for Naruto to wake up so he could reveal his little surprise that he didn't have time to do earlier.

He couldn't explain it. He had just taken a liking to Naruto. He had the makings of greatness in him. And Kisame wanted to help.

Naruto stirred after about an hour, snapping Kisame out of a daze. "Naruto?"

"Kisame…?" Naruto sat up and yawned.

"You feeling better, Naruto?"

"A little…"

"Naruto, I've been thinking… You've been trying that new way to fight recently… and I've decided I want to help you with that," said Kisame. Naruto was dumbfounded.

"Y-you want to teach me how to fight with a sword?" Naruto exclaimed happily. He shot a quick glance at Sasuke to make sure he hadn't woken him up and sighed in relief when he saw he hadn't.

"Yea, but you're gonna have to call me sensei, ya know!" Kisame smirked.

"Yes, Kisame-sensei!" Naruto grinned. The grin was wiped from his face as a knock came at the door. The door was opened quietly and Pain stepped through. But not his usual body. This was Pain's original body. He was rarely seen like this but when he was, he was on important business. And Pain looked serious.

"Kisame, can I please have a word with Naruto for a minute? Alone?" he asked in his usual gruff voice.

"Uh, sure. I'll just leave you two alone," Kisame responded.

Pain walked over to Naruto and sat down on the edge of his bed instead of sitting in the chair. Naruto looked up innocently, trying to decide whether he was in trouble or not.

"Don't fret, Naruto. You are not in trouble," said Pain. Naruto sighed with relief. "I have merely come here to tell you something. I recently got a letter from the Hokage, stating that you were finally old enough to be told of your family," he explained.

"My family?" questioned Naruto. Pain nodded.

"Yes. Your family." Pain pulled out a scroll. I was entrusted to give this to you. It's from the Hokage. It will explain everything to you." Naruto accepted the scroll and opened it. Within moments, Pain saw tears falling onto the scroll. "And this is something I myself am telling you. Naruto, you know I am also an Uzumaki, but that is not the end of it…" Pain sighed. "I am…" he began but quickly decided that wasn't the way to say it. Your mother…" Pain sighed and his voice softened. "Your mother… was my big sister…" Naruto's eyes went wide and he dropped the scroll.

"Leader…" Naruto began, unsure of what to say. Pain smiled at him.

"Just Uncle Nagato from now on," Pain insisted.

"Uncle Nagato…" Pain pulled him into a hug.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that…" Pain muttered to him. Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around his uncle and began to cry softly, burying his head into Pain's chest.

"… All I ever wanted… was a family…" Naruto whined after a moment. He looked up at his uncle, eyes brimming with tears. Pain smiled down at him. "… Thank you…"

_Meanwhile…_

Itachi stomped through the base in search of his leader, Sharingan ablaze. Whether he was a pacifist or not, Orochimaru was going to pay for what he had done to his little brother and Sasuke's best friend. He saw Konan down the hall and decided to ask her where Pain was.

"Excuse me, Konan, but have you seen the Leader anywhere?" he asked, trying to hide the bloodthirsty tone in his voice.

"Umm… I think… he's with one of the kids… I don't know. I saw him in his real body a few minutes ago and he said he had important business and went in their direction," she said. Itachi turned around and headed back down the hall without a word.

Upon reaching the boys' room, he saw Pain exiting the room, closing the door softly.

"Excuse me, leader, but I have a request," Itachi asked.

"What is it, Itachi?" Pain inquired.

"I want to pick up where Naruto and Sasuke left off. I want permission to finish their mission," said Itachi in a monotone voice. He had failed to keep the bloodthirsty tone from his voice. Pain's eyes grew dark.

"Will you be doing this mission for revenge?" he inquired. Itachi said nothing.

"If you do this for revenge, your anger could consume you in battle and it could end up costing you your life. You don't want to end up an avenger like your brother did, do you?" Pain asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trust me, I won't. Please. This is important to me," Itachi stated. Pain sighed in irritation.

"Be careful…" Itachi nodded.

"I won't fail." Itachi raised his hand in a one handed ram seal and poofed away with the Body Flicker jutsu. Pain sighed again and walked back to the main room where he was keeping a gift for his nephew to help him with the training he had told him about. It was about time he gave it to him anyway.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Ooh… Gift… Wait, am I really his nephew…?_

_Me: No, but in fanfiction, anything is possible!_

_Naruto: So… In this story… I have a family…?_

_Me: *blushes__ and acts awkward__* Yea... I felt like I was picking on you a little __too__ much so I gave you something you wanted…_

_Sasuke: *whispers something to Naruto*_

_Naruto: *grins and walks closer to me*_

_Me: *blushes* Naruto…? What are you doing…?_

_Naruto: *tries to look good* I didn't know you __liked__ me._

_Me: *gets angry* BAKA! SHANNARO! *punches Naruto*_

_Naruto: *flies through the air and lands awkwardly* Darn it… 2 Sakura's…_

_Me: Don't compare me to that useless idiot! (Seriously! When does she ever do anything!) *smiles* Look out for the first person I kill off! Within the next 20 chapters, I'm going to kill off either a village member or an Akatsuki member. No hints! __Please R&R!_


	15. Confronting the Fear

Chapter 15: Confronting the Fear

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Where did Deidara go?_

_Naruto: When I said that you said Tobi would make an appearance, he threw a taco at me and left._

_Me: But he's in this chapter!_

_Naruto: Just call security!_

_Me: … SECURITY! GET HIM BACK HERE!_

_5 minutes later…_

_Security: *drags in Deidara, kicking and screaming*_

_Deidara: Let me go! I'm not being in the same chapter as Tobi!_

_Me: Oh, be quiet! He's only in it for a second and it has nothing to do with you! *shifty eyes*_

_Deidara: … You swear…?_

_Me: … Yea… Sure… Whatever… Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto walked quickly beside Kisame, trying to keep up his sensei's long strides. Today was the day he was to begin training with Kisame and they were travelling through the forest.

"So, what are we doing first?" Naruto asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"We're going to check for your second chakra affinity," Kisame said simply. Naruto frowned.

"My second chakra affinity?" he inquired.

"Yes. If your second affinity is water, then I can teach you water based jutsu as well as sword fighting," he explained. At the news that he might be using water based jutsu's, he froze up.

"W-water based jutsu's?" Naruto stuttered as they entered a clearing. Kisame stopped and pulled out two small pieces of paper.

"I trust you know how this it done. Put one in each hand, feed chakra into both and it will show you, not only your first affinity, but also your second." Naruto nodded uncertainly and took the pieces of paper.

He closed his eyes and began to channel chakra into the paper. He felt the sheet in his right hand tear, which he expected and a few seconds later, he began to feel something drip down his hand. Shaking, he threw paper to the ground in a panic and stared at it, eyes wide.

Kisame shook his head and sighed. "Congratulations. You have an affinity of water. Now the only problem is to get rid of that fear of yours. After that, I will teach you." Naruto froze.

"A-and how do I do that…?" he asked nervously. Kisame smirked.

"By confronting it, of course. Follow me." He turned and walked off in the other direction. Naruto jogged after him.

Moments later, they arrived at the lake. Kisame pointed at a spot near the edge.

"That's the shallow end. Go and stand in it," he said gruffly. Naruto pulled off his cloak, revealing that he had come without a shirt. Standing at the edge of the lake, he warily stared down at his reflection in the water. Just as he was about to put his foot in, he yelped as Kisame came up behind him and shoved him in headfirst. "There. Not so bad, is it, Naruto? You're still alive."

Naruto stood up and kicked water at Kisame. "There. Not so bad, is it, Kisame-sensei?" he mocked. Kisame scowled.

"Alright, alright… Well, do you feel any better?" he asked. He smirked when Naruto finally realised that he was standing but didn't move. Rather, he stared at his feet in wonder before a grin spread across his face.

"Woohoo! I feel like I could do anything now!" he whooped. Kisame sported his famous shark-like grin.

"Swim then." Kisame pulled his cloak off and got in with him. "Swim out to the middle of the lake and we'll start the next part." Naruto began to walk into the deeper water and then, albeit uneasily, began to swim to the middle of the lake. Kisame walked along the surface beside him as he slowly made his way to the middle.

"What now?" he asked, realising that his feet could no longer touch the bottom. His heart began to beat faster.

"I want you to dive under, hold your breath as long as you can and then come back up. This is probably where your real fear will kick in so try not to panic too much. You're safe with me, ok?" he smiled. Naruto sighed, nodded and dived. Here, he began to truly panic. Realising that there was water all around him, he swam back up in a hurry.

Kisame frowned. "Something wrong?"

"I-I'm s-sorry… I-it's just…" Naruto sighed.

"It's alright to be afraid. I understand that, but if I'm going to teach you… You're going to need to trust me and overcome that fear." He paused, then came up with a plan. He slowly released the chakra in his feet and sunk into the water beside Naruto. "Alright. I'm going to hold you under so you can't come back up unless you need to, ok?" Naruto nodded shakily, feeling sick.

He took in a deep breath and Kisame put both hands on his shoulders. He pushed Naruto under before diving under to keep an eye on him. At first, he struggled but all was futile against Kisame's iron grip. Eventually, he laid eyes on Kisame who gave him a look as if to say 'You may as well stop now.' He stopped struggling and closed his eyes, trying to block out the water around him. He counted the minutes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. His lungs began to burn but he stayed still. 6. 7. He opened his eyes and gave Kisame a pleading look. His eyes slammed shut again and his hands went to his throat. He expected Kisame to let him go, but he didn't. He came to the conclusion that his sensei thought he could last for a little while longer.

Another minute passed and Naruto reached his limit. He cracked open one eye to shoot another pleading look at his sensei before letting out his breath. Naruto watched the bubbles float to the surface and shut his eye again. He felt Kisame wrap his arms around him comfortingly and pulled him quickly to the surface, just as he was about to lose consciousness.

Naruto coughed and spluttered, taking in deep gasps of air. Kisame stood on top of the water and dragged him up with him, holding him steady for a few seconds before taking him back to shore.

"Why don't you lie down for a while?" Kisame suggested. Naruto quickly nodded his approval and lay down under a tree. Kisame, meanwhile, walked back to the lake and sat at the edge, waiting until Naruto was ready.

"You don't have to kill the kid, you know," said a voice from up in the trees. Kisame turned his head around.

"I'm not planning on killing him. Pain would make sushi out of me if I did. And you know how much he likes sushi. And anyway, Deidara, I've taken a liking to Naruto," Kisame grinned.

"I suppose that's why you're training him, then?" Deidara smirked. Kisame nodded just as Naruto walked over to him.

"Kisame-sensei? I'm ready for the next part," Naruto declared. Kisame smirked.

"Swim out to the middle again." Naruto nodded and, obediently, did as he was asked. Kisame followed him closely and Deidara came along for the heck of it. "Now dive and come back up again." Naruto did just that and when he reached the surface again Kisame asked him one question: "So… How do you feel?"

"Perfectly fine. Why?" After a few seconds, Naruto clicked onto what he had just said and began to smile. He pulled himself onto the surface of the water and stood there smiling for a few seconds before beginning to chuckle. Kisame smirked.

"Get your cloak and head back to the hideout. I'll teach you how to fight with a sword tomorrow," Kisame ordered.

"Yes sensei!" Naruto ran straight back to shore, put on his cloak and ran back to the hideout.

"Hehe… Told you it would work!" exclaimed Kisame. Deidara smiled.

"That Naruto's a tough one, eh? You've got yourself a fine student," Deidara assured. Kisame smiled at the praise. Suddenly, they heard a noise. They looked in the direction of the noise and saw a large spray of water coming towards them. Deidara seemed to instantly recognise it.

"DEIDARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" yelled a voice.

"Oh snap! It's Tobi!" yelled Deidara before he ran away, screaming. "TOBI! NO! BAD BOY! STAY AWAY!"

"TOBI IS A GOOD BOY!" Tobi yelled before launching himself at Deidara.

_Meanwhile…_

"Uncle Nagato!" Naruto yelled, running over to his uncle, who was now using Yahiko's body. He happened to have been standing in his throne room, pacing back and forth for reasons unknown neither to his comrades, nor to himself for that matter. That was, of course, until Naruto practically bombarded him in his act of utter playfulness.

"What on earth-" Pain began before he was tacked by his nephew. As Pain picked himself up he muttered darkly. "What age are you now, 16? The behaviour you show isn't becoming of my nephew or the son of the fourth Hokage." Pain sighed and pushed Naruto off him. Naruto grinned wildly.

"Hey, uncle Nagato! Guess what?" he exclaimed. Nagato sighed

"I despise guessing games…"

"Kisame-sensei helped me get over my fear! He's gonna teach me water jutsu's now!" Pain picked himself up and brushed himself off. "And, by the way, I'm 19!"

"Really? Already? How the years go by…" Pain said, becoming thoughtful.

"You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?" Naruto pouted. The reality hit Pain that his nephew was probably acting the way he was because, for 19 years, he knew nothing of his family and there were very little people who cared for him. He was craving his uncle's attention which resulted in his childish impulses. Pain knew he may never grow out of it and felt a pang of pity for his nephew.

"I did. And good for you but forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy. I'm a little preoccupied with something else," Pain muttered.

"What's wrong?" Naruto tilted his head in curiosity.

"The Hokage is coming here soon to further discuss how we can help the Leaf. She's coming in 5 days." Naruto's heart sank.

"But that's October 10th!" he whined. Pain raised an eyebrow. "My 20th birthday!" Pain rolled his eyes.

"Naruto, in life, some things are more important than birthday parties…" he sighed.

"I didn't want a party… Just a day off without having to worry about the 5th Hokage coming here… I don't want to sit in on any meetings…" he muttered.

"Well, as my nephew and the inheritor of the position of Akatsuki leader, you must. But don't worry. Lady Tsunade said she had a surprise for you in her letter. She knows what day it is," he assured. Naruto lightened up a little. Surprises from Tsunade weren't always the best, but sometimes, they were rather funny.

"Yea… Ok…" Naruto muttered. Then Pain leaned over to him and whispered something to him.

"I have something for you too." Naruto chuckled.

"Better be good. You screwed the last 3 years up by getting nothing and baking a cake last year that gave Deidara food poisoning." Pain shuddered.

"So… much… vomit…" Naruto laughed at him.

"Well, I had better be clearing off. Sasuke and I need to sort out who does what on my birthday. Sorry, but we both agreed that you aren't cooking." Pain looked hurt. "Oh, come on! If I've ever seen anything black and runny at the same time, it was that cake!"

"I couldn't help forgetting the flour! It's easy to forget!"

"Flour is the base of it! You can't find it easy to forget! It's physically impossible!"

"Fine then…" Pain went in a huff. Naruto rolled his eyes and left.

_10 minutes later…_

Naruto and Sasuke sat on the floor of Naruto's room. Scraps of paper lay all around them. Neither turned around when they heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" they yelled in unison. When Pain entered, Naruto sighed.

"What?"

"I… uh… don't suppose you've reconsidered about my baking, have you?" he asked hopefully. "I made a sample!" he yelled excitedly, producing something charred and blackened that neither boy could even begin to identify as a cake.

"Well… uh… at least he remembered the flour this year…" muttered Sasuke.

"It's burnt, Uncle Nagato…" sighed Naruto.

"It's not burnt! It's Cajun!" he yelled before stomping out.

"… So, Konan's cooking this year?" Naruto asked after a pause.

"Yep," replied Sasuke without hesitation, writing Konan's name beside the word 'cooking' on his list. Sasuke paused. "He's your uncle?"

_NARUTO_

_Me: Poor Nagato!_

_Naruto: I can't help it! He isn't cooking and that's final!_

_Me: … Yea. It's probably for the best. I ain't mopping up sick and neither are the other Akatsuki members._

_Tobi: |-|3'/ 9U'/$! 1 jU$7 Ph0U|\|D 0U7 |-|0\/\/ 70 $P34| L337!_

_Me: … ? If any of you guys know what that means, I'd like to know… (I already know but I'd like to see your suggestions!) Please R&R!_


	16. Meeting

Chapter 16: Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: …_

_Me: … He wants his gift._

_Naruto: START THE STORY!_

_Me: Alright already! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto got up that morning knowing that the first thing he was doing was going to the pub. It had been a while since he had gone and no one was stopping him. He was getting drunk on his birthday.

He pulled on his Akatsuki robe and headed out of his bedroom door. Heading down the hall, he ran into Sasuke.

"Hey. Happy birthday, Naruto. Where are you going at this time of the morning?" he asked.

"The pub. Wanna come?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Sorry. I don't drink. I didn't know you did."

"Yea. Your brother, Kisame-sensei and I often go out for a few drinks every so often and unless there's alcohol here, I'm going," Naruto stated.

"You're gonna do your liver in with that stuff."

"Nah. The Fox heals any damage done so I can drink as much as I want. You outta get your brother to lighten up though. When you're away on missions, he's in the pub every night, drinking himself silly." Sasuke laughed.

"Sounds like Itachi. He worries too much." Naruto chuckled.

"Well, I'm off before the Hokage gets here. Tell Uncle Nagato I'm not getting drunk so no need to worry." Naruto tightened his scratched Leaf headband and continued down the hall. Walking past his uncle's room, Nagato stopped him.

"Naruto? Can you go out and escort the Hokage to the throne room when she and her escorts arrive?" Naruto sighed in exasperation. He'd just have to go later.

"Fine…" he muttered and walked out of the headquarters to await the arrival of Tsunade.

It took a good few hours for her to arrive. Team Asuma and Jiraiya just happened to be with her. Most likely because Shikamaru would be a great help during the negotiations. The only problem was that Hidan and Kakuzu should probably be kept away after what happened with their sensei and the look Shikamaru had was one of anger at something or someone. Naruto smirked mentally at the sight of his old friends and mentors, long since cast aside.

Shikamaru shot a look at Naruto's headband, immediately recognising him as his old friend. But something about how he looked at Naruto wasn't exactly friendly. Naruto then realised that the anger wasn't directed at Hidan or Kakuzu. It was him.

Tsunade stopped in front of Naruto and gave him a warm smile. Naruto kept his cool façade and stared at the four of them emotionlessly.

"Hello, Naruto," Tsunade smiled.

"Welcome, Lady Tsunade. If you would all please follow me," he announced to the four Leaf shinobi. They nodded and Naruto turned, heading into the base to their meeting hall. He opened a door that led into a large room with a large, round, stone table with chairs surrounding it. There was a large, stone throne at either end of the table, directly across from each other and a smaller throne to the right of the throne that belonged to their leader. Pain was already sitting at one end.

"Ah, Lady Tsunade," he greeted, standing up. "How wonderful to see you again." Tsunade nodded.

"Likewise," she responded, sitting in the other throne. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Jiraiya sat around her with Jiraiya to her left Shikamaru to the left of him and Ino to her right with Choji sitting to the right of Ino.

Naruto took his place in the throne by his uncle and stared at them emotionlessly. He could feel Shikamaru's eyes on him, boring angrily into his skull. He looked all of them in the eye emotionlessly. The moment he looked at Jiraiya though, he found a confused and pained look in his eyes.

"So, I suppose we should begin the negotiations," began Pain. Tsunade nodded. "What is it that the Leaf needs?"

"Protection and trade with Ame. Our trade with Kiri has significantly lowered leaving us low on seafood. Besides, the money we pay will help to get Ame back on track. We are fully aware of its condition and trading could benefit the both of us.

"The Akatsuki alone would also be more than enough protection for our village. Ame had no need to get involved there. And of course the Akatsuki will be paid for their services." Pain nodded.

"This will definitely benefit us both. However, it depends on how much Ame gets paid. If it's too little we will have to settle on something else," Pain frowned. Tsunade gave her price.

"Hmm… 500,000 a year… How much is that every month…?" Pain began to count.

"41,668 ryo a month," Naruto said coldly, finally speaking up.

"That's quite a lot of money. Are you really that desperate?" inquired Pain.

"Yes. We have little to no seafood and most of our animal products are from other lands. Some of those trades have gone down too. We're really quite desperate."

"Well, I think you know my answer. When do we begin shipping?"

"Any time you feel ready."

"Would 3 weeks be alright?"

"Of course."

"And about protecting the Hidden Leaf… Are there any people who you feel might be thinking about attacking? I would just like to be aware of any threats."

"Of course." Tsunade thought for a moment before turning to Jiraiya.

"Well, Kiri has been taking up arms recently. We can only assume that they mean to attack someone. And if they've stopped supplying us, I doubt they're low on fish. They could attack soon," Jiraiya stated, thinking about all the people that could be enemies. Pain nodded.

"Naruto, please call Hidan here. I have precise plans to tell him concerning the battle plans. Once the plan has been relayed to all the Akatsuki members, I want you and Sasuke to ensure that it is carried out properly due to Itachi's absence," Pain explained. Naruto got up and left without a word.

Upon returning with Hidan, he ignored the looks of rage that were shot their way. Hidan smirked at them, instantly recognising as the ones he had decided to kill a few years before. Standing in front of Pain, Pain whispered something to them both. They nodded once he was finished and left to inform Deidara, who would no doubt spread it faster than he could, ignoring the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's looks as he left the room.

Naruto reclaimed his place beside his uncle and pulled crossed his legs, keeping his uninterested façade. For a second he locked eyes with Jiraiya, noting the pain that was present in them. Soon the meeting was over and Naruto was to lead them to their rooms.

"Please follow me…" Naruto muttered silently, leading them away. Halfway down the hall, Naruto spoke up again. "I'm afraid we only have two rooms available so you're going to have to share." Jiraya began to blush until Naruto destroyed his fantasy. "Boys in one room, girls in the other. Any problems, talk it up with Hidan and I can't guarantee that you won't be sacrificed to Jashin if you do." Jiraiya shuddered at the thought.

Naruto dropped them off in their rooms. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask and yadda, yadda, yadda, you know the rest." Naruto spun on his heels and walked back to his uncle's throne room.

Upon entering, Nagato spoke to him. "Naruto, I have something to give you…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: Next time, you get your gift._

_Naruto: *sniff* My first birthday present…_

_Me: And you're going to love it! I've worked REALLY hard on the description. And even though it's August, happy birthday Naruto!_

_Naruto: *sniff* I really love you guys, y'know that? But didn't you say Tsunade had a surprise too?_

_Me: Oh, it's a surprise, alright… But a good one. You'll like it._

_Naruto: *grins*_

_Me: Please R&R!_


	17. A Gift and Sudden Realisation

Chapter 17: A Gift and Sudden Realisation

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: IT'S THE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!_

_Naruto: … What do I get?_

_Me: Ah, but that would be telling! It's a surprise!_

_Naruto: PLEASE!_

_Me: No! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion when his uncle told him he had something for him. "What is it?" Pain walked behind his throne and pulled up a wooden trapdoor. He lifted something long out that was wrapped in a cloth.

"This belonged to your mother. It was passed down in our family and when your mother died, it came into my possession as, unfortunately, the clan was told that you were dead to prevent clan members from other villages from asking to adopt you. However, I could not bear to use it. To me, this always belonged to Kushina. Therefore, when I was able to tell you of your parents, I decided immediately that this was to be passed to you, as something like this normally would be," he explained to Naruto.

Naruto took the parcel from his uncle and gave him another confused look before unwrapping the cloth. Naruto's eyes went wide as he took in the sight.

In his hands lay a sword made of polished blue-green lapis lazuli gemstone. It had a beautiful carving of a fox leaping as a hilt. The blade was made of the same type of metal that Asuma had used for his trench knives, therefore making it a chakra blade. Along the flat of the blade, the kanji for "Don't give up until the end" was engraved. The sheath was also made of the blue-green lapis lazuli and had the Uzumaki clan symbol engraved into it near the hilt.

Naruto stayed silent, unable to express himself. Pain chuckled at his expression. Naruto quickly shook his head.

"U-Uncle Nagato… I can't accept this… It was passed to you… Not me…" he muttered, gripping the sword tightly. Nagato smiled.

"Dear boy, if the sword remained in my possession, it would never be used. And I wish that it be put into your possession. Please accept it," Nagato smiled.

"So… Mother used this…?" he asked. "… Can I even match up to her…?" he asked, more to himself than his uncle.

"Yes, your mother used this and I'm sure you'll surpass her. Her dream was to be able to see your face when this sword was finally handed to you. Sadly, she cannot be around to see it. Therefore I am taking her place…" He wrapped his arms around Naruto and pulled him into a hug. "Happy birthday, Naruto…" he smiled. Naruto smiled and pulled himself away, tears beginning to run down his face. He wiped them off just as Sasuke walked in.

"Sorry for interrupting, but the Hokage just asked me to find you, Naruto," he said in his usual monotone voice. Nagato restrained a chuckle as Naruto put on his usual emotionless façade and walked right past Sasuke without a word.

Naruto reached the girls' room and knocked. Tsunade opened the door and smiled.

"Oh! Happy birthday, Naruto!" Tsunade greeted him.

"Thank you, but, why did you ask for me?" Naruto said, leaning his on shoulder against the door frame. Tsunade giggle.

"Before I tell you, are there any good bars around here?" she smiled.

"Yea. There's one in the town. Did you want us to go?" he inquired, resting his head on the door frame and raising an eyebrow.

"I'll pay. Go get some of your friends. Jiraiya's waiting in the other room for us to tell him that we're going," she explained. Naruto sighed.

"May as well… I was planning to go this morning anyway…" He stood up straight and went to find Kisame.

Naruto, Deidara, Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu, Konan (for she had cake which was for the others because Naruto doesn't eat cake), Nagato, Sasori (who doesn't drink or eat but came because he felt like it), Sasuke (because the bar sells orange juice), Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Jiraiya and a very happy Tsunade all left a while later. Naruto attempted to keep up with his sensei as the Konoha ninja followed them to the bar.

"Hey, Kisame-sensei? Are we beginning training straight away tomorrow?" Naruto inquired. He felt eyes boring into his when he said 'sensei'. Deidara stifled a laugh at the looks

"I don't see why not. You've wanted to begin training for a while now so I may as well teach you a jutsu or two to go with that new sword of yours, eh?" he grinned. Naruto smiled slightly and turned his eyes back on the road. The pub was in sight and Naruto could feel the Kyuubi's excitement inside him.

Naruto held the door open for them as they entered. They all sat down at the counter and the bartender approached them.

"Ah! Naruto! Haven't seen you here in a while!" he exclaimed. "So, what'll it be for you and your friends?"

"Good to see you Daisuke. Just Sake for me, please," he replied. Daisuke smiled and took the orders for the others.

While the others had a good time eating cake and drinking, Naruto sat at the counter, still holding his first cup of Sake. He swirled the liquid around in his shot glass absentmindedly. He had things on his mind that he couldn't get in order because the Kyuubi was constantly saying "**Drinkitdrinkitdrinkitdrinkit!**" which severely pissed him off.

"Hold your whist!" he hissed back.

Jiraiya, who was, for one, one of the only half sober ones, came up beside him and sat down. Naruto looked at him for a few seconds before sighing and putting the glass down. He looked at the table.

"What do you want?" he said absentmindedly.

"Just a chat," Jiraiya replied.

"Sorry, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today…" Naruto muttered. Jiraiya ignored him.

"So… I hear you got a new sensei…" he began.

"What about it?"

"It's just… what about your old sensei's?" Naruto smirked.

"Oh, you mean Kakashi? All the man ever did was blow Sakura and I off for Sasuke, teach us teamwork that Sasuke didn't even stick to, and helped me with a move I can't even use and almost killed Kakuzu with," he chuckled. "And Iruka only liked me for 3 years and only after he found out what I was going through was what he was going through. I was more of a comfort to him than he was to me. And you, my own godfather, constantly blew me off for 'research' and kept taking my hard-earned money and blew it all on alcohol."

Jiraya looked down at the table in shame and sighed. "Look, I admit we weren't the best sensei's, but we miss you in the village… Why don't you come back? We're allied now so there's nothing to stop you," he said hopefully.

"I'm not going back to the place where the villagers call me a demon and try to assassinate me every chance they get," he muttered. Jiraiya paused as a thought hit him.

"Wait… How did you know I was your godfather?" he asked.

"Uncle Nagato informed me…" Naruto replied.

"You mean Pain? Wait… His name is Nagato?" he asked in shock. Naruto smiled. He had often been told stories about his uncle's childhood by Konan and had been told that he had been taught by Jiraiya as a child.

"Yea. You didn't notice the Rinnegan? Wow, you're slow!" he teased, finally downing his Sake, much to the delight of the Kyuubi, who Naruto heard cheering. Jiraiya looked dumbfounded. "My mother was his sister. That's how he's my uncle," he explained. He looked around at Jiraiya, noticing the look on his face. He frowned. "Just drink…" he sighed.

Jiraiya sighed, got up and left. Here, Shikamaru saw his chance to ask a question that had been on his mind all day.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Naruto said without turning around. Shikamaru, who stood behind him, sighed and walked over to his side.

"Alright, I'm not going to waste time making small talk so I'm just gonna say it straight out. Naruto, why did you betray the Leaf village to join," he gestured to Hidan and Kakuzu, "_them?"_ he spat venomously.

"And I'm not going to waste my time giving _you_ an answer…" he smirked.

"Naruto, you _will_ answer me! As Asuma's student, I have the right to know!" Naruto chuckled and downed more sake, giving him no answer. Shikamaru raised his fist and swung it at Naruto. Naruto effortlessly caught his fist and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You listen to me and you listen well!" he hissed. "I am _sick _of explaining why I left! Ask your friends! They know, but I will not explain it to anyone else! Especially people who think they deserve one which you _definitely _do _not!"_ he spat. He let go of Shikamaru's fist which he had tightened his grip on considerably. Shikamaru stumbled back, clutching his hand. As he quickly staggered off, Naruto smirked. "Maybe the Hidden Leaf wasn't worth saving… was it…?" For the first time, Naruto felt conflicted about his decision.

Naruto poured out more Sake and sat there, staring into the clear liquid inside his glass. For a moment, it wasn't his reflection that looked back at him. It was Hinata's smiling face. _'Did I really only save the Leaf__…__ for Hinata…?'_ he thought. Then the image of his old classmates and teachers flashed through his mind. His grip on the glass increased and the glass smashed, though it took him a few seconds to realise it.

"Anything wrong, Naruto?" asked Daisuke, coming to wipe up the mess. Naruto sighed.

"Sorry, Daisuke…"

"No need to apologise, young man. It's your day. Try not to be too depressed about whatever it is that's bothering you," he smiled. Naruto sighed, put some money down for the glass that he broke and explained that Tsunade was paying, before leaving, much to the fox's annoyance.

As Naruto walked away, he began to wonder. "Hmm… I feel like we forgot something …"

_Meanwhile…_

"Aww…" whined Zetsu. "They forgot me…" Kitsune slinked over to him and stared at him. "Well, at least the fox cares!" he exclaimed happily. He looked away from the fox and drummed his fingers on his knees. He froze when he felt something wet and warm dripping down his leg. "Aww… He thinks I'm a plant…" he whined again.

_Back with Naruto…_

"Ah, it was probably nothing!" Naruto said, shrugging it off.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Aww… Poor Zetsu… Don't worry! I still love you!_

_Zetsu: Aww… Thank you!_

_Naruto: *walks in and ignores Zetsu* Hey, ET._

_Me: Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Zetsu?_

_Naruto: Zetsu? Where?_

_Me: There!_

_Zetsu: *waves happily*_

_Naruto: Zetsu? I thought that was a plant._

_Zetsu: *cries*_

_Me: *facepalm's and sighs* Please R&R…_


	18. Black Dog

Chapter 18: Black Dog

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: So, what's up with the dog?_

_Me: Try and figure it out. Sorry, but we have no witty remarks this time. This chapter is based around Sasuke. This will be a short chapter so please enjoy the story._

_NARUTO_

Sasuke tossed and turned in his sleep that night. A dream was haunting him.

Darkness. There was no moon. No stars. No wind. All was still. Tall grass reached to a lone man's waist.

He paused and looked around himself when he heard a rustling noise. A shadow moved through the grass. He ran. The beast seemed to get closer to him. It ran faster than he did. He frantically searched his body and the ground for a weapon but found nothing.

He decided to attack it with a jutsu, but when he spun round and performed the hand seals, nothing happened. His eyes widened in horror as the beast jumped from the grass.

A large, shaggy, black dog with burning, red eyes, like saucers, jumped from the grass. Time seemed to slow as the dog came upon him. Time sped up again after a few seconds and the dog landed on the man, pinning him to the ground and baring its long, sharp teeth. It let out an unearthly howl.

Sasuke shot up in bed, sweating fiercely. "What the heck was that?" he panted.

He looked at his clock, realising that it was 9:00 in the morning. He was supposed to be up by now. He shot out of bed and ran to the bathroom to freshen up.

He walked slowly to the kitchen, jumping at every noise he heard. He walked in, seeing Konan making breakfast. Naruto was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. He looked up as Sasuke came in.

"Good morning, Sasuke," he greeted, putting the paper down.

"Good morning. So, what's the news today?" he asked.

"Ah, I don't know why I read the paper anymore. It's all bad news nowadays," he sighed. Sasuke chuckled nervously.

"Haha… I suppose so. I don't even know why I ask anymore." Naruto frowned.

"Are you alright? You seem… off…" he inquired. Sasuke sighed.

"I had a weird dream last night…" he muttered.

"You know, they say dreams have meanings." Sasuke nodded.

"I know. I'm trying to figure out…" he trailed off. Neither spoke for a few seconds.

"Well… What was it about?" asked Naruto, breaking the silence. Sasuke became thoughtful.

"Well… There was a dog. A huge, black dog with big, burning, red eyes and huge, sharp teeth. And a man. He looked like my brother. The dog attacked him…" Sasuke trailed again.

"Oh, well that's easy to get," Naruto stated. Sasuke looked up and saw him frowning.

"What's wrong? Is it bad?" he asked. Naruto winced.

"Well…"

_Meanwhile…_

Itachi sailed over trees, looking for the hideout of Orochimaru. He was tempted to let anger overcome him but let it held it back, each time remembering Pain's words about the possibility of anger clouding his judgement and ultimately leading to his death at the hands of Orochimaru. He shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts and stopped for a moment.

He leaned against a tree and put one hand on his forehead, panting heavily. He had been running for days with little rest and was feeling the effects.

He looked down at his hand and saw that he could barely concentrate on it, making his hand blurry. Orochimaru would have to wait. First, he would rest.

Itachi jumped from the tree and lay down on his side in some nearby bushes to avoid being seen. He didn't complain about the conditions of the hard ground or the leaves scratching against his skin. To him, just lying down was underrated. He decided he would just sleep for a little while before setting off again.

He closed his eyes and before he knew it, he was sleeping soundly.

The same dream came to him too. The same still air. The same grass. The same panic. The same dog. The same burning red eyes that seemed to peer into his very soul. The same unearthly howl that rung in his ears. And a man, watching it all with a look of sheer terror on his face who looked just like Sasuke.

Itachi woke with a start and sat up quickly, the howl still ringing inside his head. He shook his head, trying not to think about the dream and ran to a river he heard trickling, not too far off.

After splashing water on his face to wake himself up and taking a long drink, he glanced at the sky. It had gotten dark and he realised just how tired he must have been to have slept all day. He looked into the river, pulling twigs and leaves out of his hair before standing.

He was about to jump into the trees when he heard his stomach growl and paused. He chuckled and looked around. Seeing a tree, he walked over to it.

Just his _luck_. It was laden with cranberries… Oh, how he despised cranberries… Of course, sadly, all he saw for a while _was_ cranberries. Eventually, much to his disgust, he settled for eating cranberries, wincing as he ate them.

After taking another long drink and making a quick trip to the… bush… he jumped back into the trees, heading towards Orochimaru's hideout.

The hideout came into view and Itachi frowned. Anger began to boil inside him. He saw red. Without realising it, he smashed through the roof of the hideout with great force. The roof caved and he jumped through.

"Hello, _Orochimaru_…" he spat venomously. Orochimaru chuckled and stood up from his chair.

"Welcome, Itachi… Shall we get started?" he hissed, a smirk spreading over his face. Itachi lunged at him, forgetting about Pain's words.

"DIE!" he yelled.

_Meanwhile…_

Sasuke left the hideout in a hurry. Itachi must be stopped… before it was too late…

_NARUTO_

_Me: I want you, the people of the world, to send reviews, telling me what YOU, the people of the world, think this black dog is!_

_Naruto: Yes, and if you do, she will personally congratulate you in her next chapter!_

_Me: Yes, you have 3 days folks! All who answer correctly, get praised for your knowledge… and Pocky… Ok, maybe not Pocky, but you WILL be mentioned! Happy question answering and please R&R!_


	19. Dealing With Death 'Language of Foxes'

Chapter 19: Dealing with Death – Language of the Foxes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: I'm very disappointed in you people!_

_Naruto: *whispers* Run while you can!_

_Me: Not one guess!_

_Naruto: *whispers* She has a ninja train!_

_Me: Ya know what I say? Screw you! You're all mean! *gets ninja train ready to shoot kunai*_

_Naruto: *in a rush* And, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Sasuke left the hideout in a hurry. Itachi must be stopped… before it was too late…

_FLASHBACK_

"_Oh, well that's easy to get," Naruto stated. Sasuke looked up and saw him frowning._

"_What's wrong? Is it bad?" he asked. Naruto winced._

"_Well… Have you ever heard of the Doom Dog?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow._

"_The Doom Dog?" he asked, looking at Naruto as if he had two heads. Konan placed a plate of toast, bacon and eggs in front of both of them._

"'_Grim'?" she laughed._

"_Yes. 'Grim'," Naruto began, "is a spectral dog that is said to roam forests, graveyards and crossroads."_

"_But, what has this got to do with my dream?" Sasuke inquired._

"_The Doom Dog, or 'Grim', is said to be an ill omen. His appearance bodes ill for the beholder." Naruto swallowed a bite of toast while Sasuke listened intently. "He is an omen of death and is said to mean death for the beholder or for a close relative of the beholder." Naruto chuckled. "But it was only a dream," he smiled. "I wouldn't put too much thought into it if I were you," he smiled reassuringly. "But, just in case, promise me you'll watch your back…"_

_END FLASHBACK_

So, Sasuke left to find his brother without even a word to the others… Not even the leader.

_Meanwhile…_

Naruto knocked frantically on his uncle's door.

"Come in!" he heard. Naruto quickly opened the door. Nagato sat in his chair in Yahiko's body. He seemed to have been in some form of deep contemplation.

"Uncle Nagato! Sasuke's gone after Itachi!" he cried. Nagato slammed his hand on his desk and quickly stood up.

"I gave him no such orders!" he bellowed. "Damn…" he hissed. "If he goes, he'll be killed! Why did he leave?" Nagato demanded.

"He had a dream last night! He must have got worried about Itachi and left!" Naruto frantically exclaimed. Nagato's eyes widened.

"We have to find him! Gather the Akatsuki! We head out now!" he ordered. Naruto ran to the other Akatsuki members (even Zetsu, mind you!) and they headed out.

Zetsu used his jutsu to check the area while Naruto's Shadow Clones spread out and helped him look and Kitsune attempted to sniff for any signs that he had been through the area. Deidara took to the skies while the others took the trees. Konan's paper butterflies helped him. No stone was left unturned.

Eventually, they all met in a clearing to tell each other what they found. Naruto entered the clearing last and dispelled his Shadow Clones. Konan held him up after he nearly collapsed from the amount of chakra he had lost. He lay down beside a tree.

"The Shadow Clones… saw nothing…" he panted. Nagato frowned and passed Naruto a food pill to help him build up chakra.

"After you feel better, we'll move out again. Deidara, for now, keep an eye out from the sky, and Zetsu, you keep using your jutsu to check the surrounding area." Deidara made another bird and got up, not straying far from where his comrades were.

Soon, he felt better and made more Clones, albeit in a much smaller number. They set off. They met back again. This kept repeating with nothing coming up. They met again in the forest.

Naruto walked slowly over to the Akatsuki, gasping for breath and collapsed. Nagato caught him as he fell.

"Uncle Nagato… I can't… do this… anymore… Too… many… Clones… Not… enough… chakra…" he gasped. Nagato frowned. This was a major setback. Naruto had been worked too hard and Shadow Clones were extremely hard to create and maintain and Naruto used an unbelievable amount of them. And now he lay there, barely to move.

Pain picked up his young nephew and led them all to a cave where he laid Naruto down. Dark rings were visible under the Jinchuuriki's eyes and his skin was pale from fatigue. Nagato sighed. Naruto wouldn't be up until tomorrow.

Leaving Naruto to sleep, Nagato made his way out of the cave.

"Alright," he whispered, trying not to wake Naruto. "I want Deidara and Konan to check the skies up ahead. Send us a mental message if you find him and try to stop him unless he threatens you. We don't want violence." Konan and Deidara nodded before setting off. "Zetsu, I want you to check the ground level and the trees. Leave nothing unchecked." Zetsu nodded and disappeared into the ground. "The rest of you, spread out into the forest. Kisame, you check the borders of any rivers or lakes you may find. You can do that faster than the others." They nodded and left.

Nagato turned and headed into the cave. Naruto slept soundly on the cave floor. Nagato got down beside him and crossed his legs. He'd just have to wait…

_The next day…_

Nagato cracked open a Rinnegan eye as the sunlight poured into the cave, rousing him from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked down at his nephew, who he realised was now sitting at the mouth of the cave by a fire which he held a frying pan over. The smell of bacon wafted through the cave.

"You brought bacon?" he murmured groggily. Naruto turned around and grinned. He still looked pale but was looking much better.

"Yup! Kitsune insisted," he explained. He pulled a piece of bacon off the pan and threw it to the fox who gnawed at it happily. After flipping the bacon over a few more times, he picked up a piece and threw it at his uncle who expertly caught it without any effort. He juggled it around in his hands for a few seconds (much to Naruto's amusement) as it burnt his hands and took a bite of it. Naruto chuckled and lifted a piece straight off the pan and took a bite.

He noticed that his uncle was staring at him. "What? It doesn't burn." He grinned at as an opportunity arose to mock him. "Wimp." Nagato frowned.

"I'm not the one who fainted," he smirked. Naruto chuckled.

"Yea, but even you can faint from chakra loss!" he giggled. "Remember last summer?"

"Hey, that raccoon had it coming!"

"But did you _really_ have to throw chakra infused fuma shuriken at it?"

"Hey, chakra infused means extra power…"

"It was a raccoon… How much power did you really need?"

"Yea, but it was Tobi's ninja raccoon!" Naruto raised an eyebrow and threw another piece of bacon to his fox partner.

Then, without warning, a smell came to Naruto. He held his throat and coughed violently.

"What's wrong?" asked Nagato.

"I smell -" he coughed again, "s-smoke!" Kitsune was covering his nose and whimpering and when Nagato ran out of the cave, he saw smoke rising in the distance. Black flames rose from the forest.

He formed a hand seal and spoke to Konan. "Konan! What's going on?" he demanded. A few seconds later he got a reply.

"It's Itachi! Deidara and I can see him from here! He's resorted to using the Amaterasu! I think his illness has caught up with him!" she responded frantically.

"Keep at bay! We will be there momentarily!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" The connection was cut off. Nagato frowned.

"You up for a fight?" he asked Naruto. By now, Naruto had gotten a hold of himself and had stood up. He grinned madly.

"Any day!" he chuckled and without warning he was off into the trees. Nagato followed, knowing what was soon to come. He'd seen that look in his nephew too often not to know what it meant.

As they were coming through the forest, they were met by Sound nin. Nagato looked at Naruto and Naruto began to chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded a masked ninja holding a kunai. Naruto grinned madly again and began to cackle wildly. The ninja got fed up. "Kill them!" he yelled at his comrades, pointing at Naruto and Nagato.

Then, without warning, his arm suddenly wasn't attached to him anymore. It had disappeared in a spray of blood and appeared again in Naruto's hands where he broke it in half. The Sound nin was stunned.

"M-my arm… WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY ARM!" he screeched. Then the head of another ninja completely parted from his body. Naruto cackled wildly and charged the army, tearing each and every one of them to pieces. It was raining blood. Body parts were flying in all directions and blood-curdling, dying screams were echoing through the air, heard all the way through the Land of Sound.

When Naruto finally finished, he stood on all fours beside a body that had lost its lower half. The spine was visibly sticking out of the bloody mess where his legs should have been. Naruto chuckled again before finally regaining his sanity. He stood up straight and pushed his blood-soaked hair out of his eyes.

"Shall we?" he said in monotone, gesturing for his uncle to move on ahead. His eyes were devoid of emotion. Honestly, he had heard about what happened in these situations and had seen how excited he got before a battle came but he had never seen the boy kill before. Former S-class criminal or not, this made him feel slightly sick to see his nephew cause such utter destruction. Something that he was trying to stop in the world.

Cringing, he walked past the young Jinchuuriki and they headed off, reaching the hideout in less than 5 minutes.

It was a wreck. Sasuke stood beside his brother who lay on the ground, coughing furiously. Sasuke turned and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw them. The others were still waiting.

"Naruto! Get Itachi out of here and stay with him unless I tell you to come! I'll stay with Sasuke! When you get to a safe distance, tell the others to move in!" ordered Nagato. Naruto stood to attention and dashed into the flames. The smoke went down his throat, making him cough but he pulled Itachi out of the battle with no protests from Sasuke.

He carried him away from the building and put him down on the grass.

"You okay, Itachi?" asked Naruto. Itachi coughed again, blood dribbling down his chin.

"I-I think it's catching up with me… And at the worst possible moment…" he muttered.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later… Listen, you have to tell Sasuke… It'll kill him inside if you don't…" Naruto suggested. Itachi smiled and shook his head.

"It'll kill him inside if I do…" Itachi looked at him seriously.

"But, even so, when you're gone, can you imagine how he'll be? He'll probably think you didn't trust him or thought he was too weak to know… It'll definitely be worse if you don't tell him…" Itachi fell into another coughing fit and Naruto sighed. "You look awful…"

"Listen… I've never felt this bad before… After I take my medicine… if it gets no better… I'm probably not going to be around to see little Sasuke come back…" He smiled. "I know how close you two are… Please look after my little brother…" Naruto looked sadly at him and searched his cloak. He pulled out a box of tablets and gave one to Itachi, holding his head up so he could drink from a canteen that Naruto held to his lips. Naruto smiled.

"Don't worry… I'll look after him… So will the others…" Naruto promised, fighting back tears.

"And… I want Sasuke… to have my eyes… He needs them for the perfect Sharingan…" he explained.

"I'll let him know. I promise," said Naruto, becoming a little more enthusiastic. Itachi began to cough again, forcing up more blood. Naruto sighed sadly. Itachi was dying. And he'd have to tell Sasuke. Not that that was his priority right now.

"Tell Sasuke…" his voice fell into a whisper. Naruto leaned closer to hear him. He nodded when he caught it.

"I'll tell him…" Naruto assured.

"Thank you… Naruto… I'm glad… my precious little Sasuke… has friends… like you…" Itachi slowly closed his eyes. Naruto sighed and put a finger on his pulse. He held it for a few seconds and sighed. Putting his hands in a seal, he spoke to the others – bar Nagato and Sasuke.

"Move in to the base and defeat Orochimaru… Itachi has died…" Naruto announced sadly. "Tell Sasuke nothing… It will interfere with his ability to fight…" Naruto got several sad yes's back. Next he would speak with his uncle. He formed the hand seal again. "Uncle Nagato… Itachi has died… What is my next course of action…?" Nagato's voice was sad when it finally came back.

"Protect him. There are Sound ninja crawling everywhere," he assured.

"Don't tell Sasuke. The others won't either," Naruto explained.

"Confirmed." Naruto dropped the signal.

_Meanwhile…_

Nagato sighed and dodged Orochimaru. He was in his white snake form and was furiously attacking them. Sasuke had just stabbed his tail with his sword and he was not letting that go unpunished.

He bore his fangs and charged at the young Uchiha who dodged expertly and brought the hilt of his sword down on the snake's head with. Orochimaru recoiled in pain, hissing loudly.

"You will all pay for thisssss!" he hissed madly. This time he charged at Nagato, grazing him slightly with his fang. Nagato wasn't in his real body so the poison would have no effect. Sasuke charged at the snake and cut him in half with his blade. And, to their surprise, he got back up again. "That will have no effect on me!"

"Oh yea? Well, maybe this will!" yelled Sasuke, driving his sword through Orochimaru's skull. The snake squirmed and fell to the ground, lifeless, his teeth still bared.

Nagato turned just as all of the Akatsuki ran in. "Don't worry Leader! We're here to help!" yelled Sasori dramatically.

"You're all… a little late…" sighed Nagato.

"Nice going, Hidan!" yelled Deidara.

"What? I wanted to sacrifice those Sound nin to Lord Jashin!" Hidan argued. Nagato sighed in irritation.

"But, did you have to do it so slowly?" accused Kakuzu.

"You could have just left me behind!"

"No way. The Akatsuki are loyal to each other."

"Who cares what you think, Zetsu?"

Soon they were in a full on argument. Pain got irritated.

"QUIET!" he bellowed. The Akatsuki was instantly quiet and looked at him, shocked by his outburst. Nagato sighed. "We have business to attend to…" The Akatsuki hesitated and gave Sasuke a quick glance.

Nagato left and the Akatsuki followed. Sasuke paused, unable to find out why they were moving. After they walked around the corner, he followed at a slow pace.

He was the last to reach Naruto. When he arrived, he saw the Akatsuki standing in a circle. They bowed their heads and held their hats to their chests in silent respect.

"What's wrong?" asked Sasuke hesitantly. The Akatsuki members looked up at him and, slowly, Naruto moved out of the way. The first thing Sasuke saw was his brother. He ran forward and collapsed beside him. "Itachi? Are you alright?" Sasuke shook him lightly. "Itachi? Wake up…" he whined. Slowly, be began to shed tears.

Naruto moved back to his original place in the circle. Sasuke looked up at him. "Why aren't you helping him!" he demanded. As he said this, the Akatsuki members closed their eyes and bowed their heads again. Sasuke put his head on his brothers' chest and sobbed. Naruto gave the others a look that they were to leave them for a while. They cleared and Naruto walked over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" Naruto trailed off. He got down on his knees beside his weeping friend. He put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. Sasuke didn't shrug it off. Instead, he got off his brother and latched onto Naruto.

"H-he's g-gone…" Sasuke sobbed.

"I know… But, it's not all bad… He isn't suffering anymore…" Sasuke's head shot up.

"Suffering? Why would he be suffering?" he demanded. Naruto sighed.

"Sasuke… Itachi was…" He paused, thinking how he would phrase this. "Itachi was very ill… The only thing that could be done was to slow the disease's progression… In the end… he decided to tell you… but…" he stopped. "Come on. Let's get you into inside."

He picked Itachi up and brought Sasuke over to the small cave he had stayed in the night before, telling the Akatsuki to give them a while. He gave Itachi to Nagato and pulled Sasuke with him, who was reluctant to leave his brother.

They sat down in the cave and Sasuke immediately latched onto Naruto's arm for comfort, not caring that it was a guy he was hugging. Naruto was a little more wary of that and felt slightly bothered by it.

Eventually, he sighed and let him cry into his shoulder. The fire that he had earlier still flickered warmly and Kitsune lay curled up on Naruto's lap. Naruto stroked the fox absentmindedly and began to sing to the fox and to Sasuke to calm them down. He sang a song that he learned from the Kyuubi once.

Sasuke looked up as he began to sing. It was a language he couldn't understand but it sounded like a beautiful song nonetheless. He let go of Naruto and looked down at his hands.

"What language is that?" he asked when Naruto had finished. Naruto smiled to no one in particular.

"That's the language of the foxes. When Kitsune speaks to me, that's what I hear," Naruto explained. Sasuke frowned.

"All I hear are growls."

"It's hard to explain, really. It's a kind of… telepathy… if you will. Something that normal people can't hear." Naruto sighed again and, for a few seconds, Sasuke was quiet.

"Who taught it to you?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"The Kyuubi. This song is a lullaby that has the ability to soothe the fiercest rage and to calm the deepest sorrow. The language has been lost to humans for centuries," he explained.

"Why?" Sasuke inquired

"Because, in those days, there were different foxes. Like the Kyuubi. Each had a different amount of tails which determined their power. Each possessed telepathic abilities and could communicate with humans. But then, their powers, sort of… dried up. The language was no longer needed and therefore forgotten."

"But, if that's what you hear, then why don't you speak like that to Kitsune all the time?"

"The language can be heard when you either want, or need it. And you certainly needed the song. Therefore, you understood."

"But why can't I understand your fox?"

"Because you are a pure human."

"If I learned the language, could I hear him?"

"You ask a lot of questions…" Naruto frowned at him.

"Oh… Sorry…" Sasuke apologised.

"It's alright. I can understand your curiosity," Naruto assured him. "And, no. Only one who is part canine - or more specifically, fox – can hear it. I can hear it because of the Kyuubi. You don't have those connections." Sasuke frowned.

"So, does Kiba hear it? He seems to understand Akamaru."

"No. He is a special case. He understands the different growls and barks of canines. He knows nothing of the language nor can he imitate the sounds that he hears. He can understand, but cannot speak."

"So, why can we not hear you speak it?"

"Because you do not need to, or want to. Now that you know, if you wish it, you could continue to hear me say it, but not Kitsune, for he is not part human." Naruto looked down at Kitsune and began to speak softly to him. The fox's ears twitched as he heard his masters' voice and he raised his head. Sasuke listened to try and pick out words, and, sure enough, he could hear Naruto speaking to the fox. Naruto pulled a pen and paper out of his bag and wrote a note as he talked to the fox.

Kitsune got up, took the note between his teeth and left. Naruto looked at him. "Did you hear?"

"Yea… Why can I hear it if I want to?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked a little peeved off with all the questions.

"I don't know. Not even the Kyuubi himself does. " He said no more than that. Suddenly, a thought struck Sasuke.

"Umm… Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"The Sharingan can control the Kyuubi. Would that make me capable?"

"I can ask the Kyuubi…" Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cave wall before his breathing slowed immensely and he felt that familiar falling feeling that he got. He opened his eyes to see himself in front of a large cage.

"**What is it, kit?"** growled a voice in the cage. Two large eyes appeared right before him. Naruto walked fearlessly into the cage and sat down.

"Kyuubi, could a person with the Sharingan understand the language of the foxes?" Naruto inquired. "I believe Sasuke wishes to learn." Kyuubi began to contemplate.

"… Madara Uchiha certainly seemed to be capable…" Naruto smirked.

"Thanks, Kyuu…"

"Don't call me that!" was the last thing he heard before his breathing increased and his eyes shot open.

"… Well…?" asked Sasuke.

"… Madara Uchiha certainly seemed capable…" Naruto responded, repeating what Kyuubi had told him. Sasuke frowned.

"Tell the Kyuubi that I still don't know who that is!" he exclaimed impatiently.

"He helped Itachi kill your clan," Naruto said, showing no emotion. As he said this, Kitsune re-entered and pranced up to Sasuke, who had become deathly quiet at the mention of his brother. The fox put his paws on Sasuke's knees and pushed his face into Sasuke's line of vision. Sasuke looked at the fox and then shielded his face, startled when by the fox when it licked his nose and barked.

Naruto smirked and laughed. "Aww! He likes you!" Sasuke picked up the fox and quickly handed him to Naruto. Naruto took the fox, who was wagging his tail happily, unable to see that he had done something to upset Sasuke. "Come on, kit." Naruto lifted the fox from Sasuke, who had gone back to his depression.

Naruto stroked Kitsune and began to sing softly again. When Naruto had finished, he looked up and Sasuke asleep. He sighed.

"And, now I'm alone…"

_Meanwhile…_

Nagato had done exactly what Naruto's note said. He was making dinner. Konan came along and saw what he was making.

"Uh… No offence but… what the heck is that?" she inquired, her eye twitching.

"Oh! This is ramen!"

"… It's burnt…"

"IT'S NOT BURNT! IT'S CAJUN!" he argued. Konan was quiet for a few seconds.

"… It's burnt…" Tears fell down Pain's face anime style.

"You're so mean to me…" Konan sighed.

"Why are you cooking…?" Nagato handed her the note he got from Kitsune.

"Naruto told me to." Konan read the note.

"Hey guys, please tell Konan to start making dinner. I'll be along with Sasuke shortly. Please don't let Uncle Nagato cook. I beg of you," Konan read. She frowned.

"Naruto thinks I'm better than you, so he made YOU do it, to give you a chance to prove yourself. That and it's so good, it's explosive!" he exclaimed matter-of-factly.

"Ain't that the truth… Poor Kisame could barely get off the toilet for a week…"

"Shut up! It's just too awesome for his system to handle!"

"… Are you always this stupid, or are you making a special effort today…?" Konan smirked. Nagato began to cry anime style again. Konan sighed and pushed him out of the way. She emptied out the food in the pan and put new food in.

Naruto walked around the corner with Sasuke, still sleeping, on his back (THIS IS NOT YAOI FOLKS!), saw the burnt mess on the ground and his uncle sitting all depressed in the corner.

"I told you not to let him cook!" Naruto huffed.

"Hey, I didn't even know he was cooking until a moment ago. Where's Sasuke? Does he feel better?"

"I'm not sure about feeling any better, but he's sleeping anyway."

"Go to bed. I'm sure you're still exhausted from yesterday." She got up from her bacon and walked over to Naruto. She put the back of her hand on his still pale cheek. "You're freezing. You have no energy to keep yourself warm. Now, go curl up by the fire!" Naruto sighed. He walked over to his uncle and whispered to him.

"You still gonna do it?" he asked as he put Sasuke on the grass.

"Of course… It's just… What if…"

"Come on Nagato! Be a man! She loves you! You've been dating! Just tell her what you have to!"

"But-"

"Where's that backbone you always show?"

"But, I'm not good with girls… I don't know how to deal with it…"

"When we get home… TELL HER! I can guarantee you, she's been waiting to hear it!" Nagato sighed.

"I suppose you're right… Thanks…"

"Anytime… Don't be afraid. You can tell her." Nagato nodded and Naruto curled up beside him before falling asleep. Nagato ruffled his hair.

"You always know what to say… Don't you…?" he smiled.

_NARUTO_

_Nagato: …_

_Me: Are you scared?_

_Nagato: … I-I have to… got to the bathroom! *runs away and vomits in the toilet*_

_Me: *tuts* Just nerves._

_Naruto: Wonder how she's gonna react when he tells her? It'll cheer Sasuke up, no doubt!_

_Me: And… let's __leave it there… Please R&R!_


	20. Aww

Chapter 20: Aww…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: I WANNA WRITE THIS SO BAD THAT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING TO SAY! PLEASE ENJOY THE STORY!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto handed Nagato something as they walked up to the base – which Nagato put in his pocket -and went to whisper to the others. They all nodded and hid around the corner of the building, leaving Nagato and Konan.

"U-umm… K-Konan…? C-can I s-speak with y-you…?" he stuttered. Konan turned around and smiled.

"There's no need to be nervous around me. We've been dating for two years!" she giggled.

"T-that's exactly what I'm talking about… You see… Konan… I love you… A lot… And…" Nagato began to sweat and Naruto facepalmed.

"He's gonna puke!" he whispered. Nagato quickly corrected himself and stood up straight.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you… I want to give you the greatest love I can imagine…" He pulled out what Naruto gave him – which was a small box - and got down on one knee. "Konan… My angel… Will you make me the happiest man alive…? Will you do me the honour…" he opened the box, "of becoming my bride…?"

Konan looked shocked.

"She's gonna say no!" hissed Deidara. But then Konan began to smile and cry.

"Oh… Nagato…" she gasped. "YES, NAGATO! YES!" she exclaimed. She got down on her knee's beside Nagato and hugged him tightly.

"Aww…" chorused the Akatsuki members in unison which went unnoticed by the two lovers. Naruto began to cry, anime style.

"Yay!" cheered Tobi happily. After glaring at him, they headed into the base without Nagato and Konan.

Naruto and Sasuke headed off down the hall to Naruto's room. They sat on the floor and Naruto pulled out a scroll. He cleared his throat.

"So, I suppose I'm going to have to teach you to get your mind off your brother… Now…" He spread the scroll out on the floor. "Sealing."

"Sealing? What does this have to do with speaking fox?" Sasuke asked sceptically.

"You need to AT LEAST have the ability to seal. Sealing is a requirement to sign a contract with the foxes. You don't have to sign the contract, but sealing is an important factor. To be able to get as close to them as you can, I'm going to teach you proper sealing techniques."

"But I already know how to seal."

"Yes, but what you are capable of is amateurish. Even worse than Kakashi. And he wasn't even able to seal your Curse Mark properly."

"… Ok… So… what are you teaching me?"

"I can tell that you can summon and seal objects into scrolls. Now I'm going to teach you to seal off part of an opponent's body."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. You can seal of the blood or oxygen to a certain part of the body and kill it. However, it can also be used for medical ninjutsu as well. You have to learn medical ninjutsu first." Sasuke nodded. Naruto pulled out another scroll and got up, beckoning for Sasuke to follow. He spread it on a desk and Sasuke immediately say that there was something stored inside. "I fished this out before we came inside."

He slammed his hand onto the scroll and a fish came out, still floundering. He pulled out a kunai and made a deep cut in the fish. "Heal it."

"Uh… I don't know how…" Sasuke smiled sheepishly. Naruto sighed.

"Alright. I'll show you how." He placed both hands on the fish. "First, channel the chakra into your hands." His hands began to glow with a soft, green light. "Then, channel it into the wound." After a few seconds, Naruto lifted his hand to show that the wound was gone. "Of course, I'll never expect you to get it that fast right away."

Sasuke walked over to where Naruto was standing and Naruto made another cut. Sasuke did as Naruto had instructed but instead of healing the wound, the fish managed to… well… blow up… Sasuke got showered with fish guts.

"Well done Sasuke. You just killed one of God's creatures," Naruto said sarcastically. "Try focusing less chakra. But first… go and get a shower…" Sasuke looked down at himself.

"… Yea…" He walked out to get a shower. Kisame saw him leave.

"Uh… Why is he covered in blood?" he inquired.

"I'm teaching him medical ninjutsu. He managed to blow the fish up."

"Ah…"

"Where are Uncle Nagato and Konan?"

"I haven't seen your uncle. Konan is in the kitchen admiring her ring, I believe."

"Thanks." Naruto walked past him and went down the hall. He walked into the kitchen to see Konan staring happily at her ring. It was gold with a ruby in the middle and diamonds surrounding it that glittered in the light. He got out a bowl and filled it with water.

"Oh, hello Naruto!" she giggled as she saw him.

"Hey. I'm teaching Sasuke medical ninjutsu. How do you stop yourself from damaging the fish? It never happened with me…"

"Just use less chakra. Get him to practice before he tries until he gets the chakra to go a soft green colour instead of blue and violent," she smiled. She was about to say something else but Naruto had already disappeared from the doorway. She sighed, looked back at her ring and smiled again.

_Meanwhile…_

Sasuke got out of the shower and wrapped a towel round his waist. He grabbed another towel and dried his hair off before stepping out of the bathroom and going to his room. He dried off and but on some new trousers and his cloak. He jogged out of his room and down the hall and walked into Naruto's room to see Naruto setting a bowl on the desk, which had been cleaned. The bowl had a few fish swimming around inside it.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Hn…" Naruto said responded in utter concentration. Sasuke frowned and decided to lie on Naruto's bed until his friend was done. He closed his eyes and began to think about his childhood with Itachi.

_FLASHBACK NO JUTSU!_

"_Itachi! Itachi!" 8 year-old Sasuke came running into his elder brother's room. Itachi was doing homework and Sasuke had a little plastic shuriken in his hand. Itachi was completely engrossed in his homework and failed to notice his little brother. "Itachi!" yelled Sasuke again. Sasuke gave him an angry – yet cute – glare and threw the shuriken at his head._

"_Ow!" groaned Itachi as the plastic toy struck his temple. "What was that for?"_

"_You weren't listening to me and you promised you would play ninja with me today…" Sasuke gave him another glare. Itachi smiled a little._

"_I'm sorry but… the academy gave me a ton of homework… I can't play with you just yet… Maybe later…"_

"_Aww… You're a liar…" Itachi smiled at him and beckoned for him to come forward. "Oh no! I'm not falling for that again!" Itachi chuckled._

"_No… I suppose you won't…" he said, humouring him. Sasuke smiled proudly and left to tell his mother, leaving Itachi in silence, much to Itachi's delight._

_Sasuke peeked his head around the door a while later to see his brother lying on his bed, reading._

"_Itachi? Will you play now?" he asked quietly. Itachi looked up and it looked like he had been crying._

"_Sorry, Sasuke. I'm studying. Maybe later…" Sasuke walked up to him and looked at the book._

"_You're reading Jane Eyre! Now come and play ninja with me! You promised!" Itachi sighed._

"_Not when Helen's about to die, I'm not!" he said, getting back to his book. Itachi sniffed as he continued to read and tears began to well up in his eyes. Sasuke sighed._

"_Fine… Read your stupid prissy book…" Sasuke ran out._

"_Jane Eyre isn't prissy! It's a heartfelt story of a young woman who found true love!" he heard Itachi yell behind him._

"_Prissy!" yelled Sasuke. He ran down the stairs and opened the door to go out onto the decking by the pond outside his house. He sat down at the edge and stared down at the brightly coloured Koi that swam around in the crystal clear water._

_After what seemed like ages, Sasuke's attention was drawn away from the aquatic creatures by a thump on the back of his head. "Ow!" he yelled. He turned around and saw a plastic shuriken on the ground. When he looked into the house, he saw Itachi at the top of the stairs, grinning like a fox. "What was that for?"_

"_You weren't listening to me and I promised I would play ninja with you today…" Itachi mocked Sasuke._

"_I'm not in the mood…" Sasuke sighed. Itachi came and sat down beside him. He also looked down at the fish._

"_Sasuke… Do you hate me?" Sasuke looked shocked._

"_No!" he objected. Then Itachi said words that Sasuke would hear again one day soon._

_"You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me. That's what big brothers are for." Itachi smiled. Sasuke smiled back._

"_Can we play ninja now?" Itachi chuckled and nodded. Sasuke smiled and got up. "I'll go get the kunai!" He ran off at ninja-like speeds, causing Itachi to chuckle again._

_FLASHBACK NO JUSTU: KAI!_

Sasuke smiled and opened his eyes. He realised that he had been crying and quickly rubbed the tears off before Naruto could see them. He turned to see Naruto contemplating something and sat up. Naruto looked up at him.

"Are you quite done with your flashback yet?" he asked nonchalantly. "I decided to leave you alone when you started smiling and crying," he smirked.

'_Da__mn! He saw!'_ Sasuke cursed inwardly. He got up without a word and walked over to Naruto.

"What's next?" Sasuke asked coolly. Naruto got up.

"Chakra control…" Sasuke looked crestfallen.

"Aww! Not chakra control!" he complained.

"I'm afraid so. Do what you did before you massacred a living creature with feelings and a will to live." Sasuke glared, held out his hands and made them go a violent blue colour. The chakra on his hands was destructive; the kind you would use for a chakra blade.

"Is this right?" Sasuke asked.

"Use less chakra," Naruto ordered, not bothering to answer his question. The raging chakra became a softer, blue haze. "You don't want your chakra to be destructive. Stop grinding it together like that!" Naruto snapped. Sasuke began to sweat as he concentrated on his chakra with all his might. Slowly, it became a blue-green colour. "Now, come here."

Naruto lifted a fish out of the bowl and set it on a piece of paper. "Focus on one spot on your hand and channel that chakra into the wound." Naruto cut the fish, lightly this time. He lifted the bowl and sat on his bed while Sasuke got to work.

Naruto looked at the fish that swam around with interest. For a minute or so, one thought ran through his head continuously. _'Don't act on instincts! Don't act on instincts! Don't act on instincts!'_ Then he gave up. His fangs grew longer.

Sasuke snickered when he turned round after hearing a splash. Naruto sat there with a happy look on his face as he lightly held a floundering fish in his teeth, not damaging it. He heard Sasuke's amused laughs and snapped out of his happy bubble. He realised what was in his mouth and spat it back into the bowl of water.

"What? It's instincts!" Sasuke laughed louder. Naruto smirked and decided it was his turn to make fun of Sasuke. "Doctor! We're losing the patient!" he yelled sarcastically. Sasuke mentally cursed and focused on the 'patient'.

Eventually, he removed his hand to find the scratch gone. "YES!" he cheered.

"Good…" Naruto said. "But… You did it in nearly 10 minutes… Now… Try and do it in under a minute like the rest of us medical ninja's can…" Naruto smirked. Sasuke looked like he had just fallen into a pit of despair. He sighed.

"I'm going to bed…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: Oh, I think the top of that one looks nice…_

_Konan: No way! I'll look like a meringue! The top's nice though…_

_Me: Oh! Look at this one!_

_Konan: It's perfect!_

_Naruto: Uh… What are you two doing?_

_Me & Konan: Picking out wedding dresses!_

_Nagato: This early?_

_Me & Konan: It's never too early to pick a wedding dress!_

_Naruto: We should leave them before they start talking about cake…_

_Me: OH! THE CAKE!_

_Konan: LET'S GO!_

_Naruto: *watches them leave and slowly picks up mic.* Um… E.T. has just left the building… so… I will be taking over… Uh… Please R&R… Goodnight… I think…_


	21. Another New Member

Chapter 21: Another New Member

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Sasori: GUESS WHO FINALLY DOES SOMETHING?_

_Deidara: Me?_

_Sasori: You've already done something… You blew up Orochimaru's base…_

_Zetsu: Me?_

_Sasori: The fox, remember?_

_Me: These people know nothing… Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto and Sasori stood to attention in front of Pain. "You two have a mission. Kiri has recently contacted us. They sealed the Three-Tails in a child four years ago. However, the villagers are mistreating it. Thanks to our new peace treaty and because Kiri trust you, Naruto, they want us to come and take the Jinchuuriki back with us for a few years. Nothing will happen to the child here because we have given up on our last plan to find peace."

"So, we're going to let a kid live here?" asked Naruto sceptically.

"Yes… And you're going to train the child…" Naruto looked disappointed.

"But, I'm training Sasuke in sealing…" he whined.

"Well, you're the only one that we have that could properly train the child in the ways of a Jinchuuriki," Pain explained. Naruto sighed in irritation.

"Fine… Let's go Sasori…" Naruto grabbed Sasori's arm and dragged him off.

_2 weeks later…_

Kiri was wet… Wetter than Naruto had remembered… And he hated it… I mean, he wasn't afraid of water anymore. He just hated how wet it was… because, if it's wet, it's cold too. And that's what he really hates.

They walked into the office of the Mizukage, Mei, to see her sitting at her desk. She smiled warmly at them.

"Ah, Akatsuki. Please sit down. I understand you're here for the Jinchuuriki, correct?" she asked kindly. Naruto nodded.

"The child will be safe at the Akatsuki. We've given up on our plan to use the Tailed Beasts and are currently searching for other ways to bring peace to the 5 Great Nations," Naruto explained.

"And, of course, were the Nine-Tails not there, I would not send her there. Unfortunately, the villagers mistreat her. I wouldn't like her to spend her childhood here. It may make her hate this village out of no fault of her own… She's a lovely girl… By the way, I thought they would send the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki here. Did he not come?" Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"Actually, ma'am… I'm the Jinchuuriki…" The Mizukage blushed in embarrassment.

"O-oh… I'm sorry. I didn't recognise you," she replied.

"There's no problem."

"I'll get the child." She got up, peeked her head around the door and beckoned for someone to come in. It was a little girl with long, blonde hair. Her eyes were blue and for some reason, Sasori noticed a resemblance between her and Naruto.

"This is Umeko. If it's possible, could she be trained while she is a member of Akatsuki?" Mei asked.

"Of course," Sasori said. "Naruto has agreed to train her in the ways of a Jinchuuriki. She'll probably be Genin level by 6 and Chūnin level by the time she returns to join the academy." The Mizukage smiled happily.

"Of course, it all depends on how well she can listen and follow commands…" Naruto added. "Will you?" he asked the child. She nodded happily, eyes brimming with determination. "Then we won't have too many problems then…"

So, they took the Jinchuuriki with them… And Naruto found out how annoying children can be…

"Mister Naruto?" she began.

"Don't call me mister…" sighed Naruto.

"Oh… Um… Ok… Naruto?"

"What…?"

"Where are you from?"

"Konohagakure."

"Was it wet there?"

"No."

"Did they treat you badly too?"

"Yes."

"What did they do to you?"

"I'd rather not remember."

"Why?"

"Stop asking questions."

"Oh… Ok…" She paused. "Naruto?"

"What…?"

"… Do you think I'm annoying…?"

"Yes…" Sasori turned to look at Naruto.

"Naruto! Don't be mean!"

"I'm not. I'm just simply telling the truth. I've never lied, remember?" Naruto responded.

"You could still use a euphemism…"

"What's a euphemism?" asked Umeko.

"Stop asking questions," replied Naruto.

"That's how you learn, Naruto… By asking questions…" scolded Sasori.

"I don't like people bombarding me with questions…" Naruto said.

"Not even your current student?" Sasori asked, referring to Sasuke.

"Sasuke is not my student and his questions are in small number and relevant to the situation," Naruto replied simply.

"Never mind. We're at the base anyway…" Naruto looked up.

"So we are… Ya know, I'm glad the cave collapsed. Now we don't have to sit on rocks…" Naruto mused.

"Yea… Remember how much Deidara used to complain?"

"He was the one who blew it up, anyway… Thank heavens for the Akatsuki terrorist…" Naruto chuckled.

"Yea… He broke the statue too…"

"It doesn't matter. We're not using it anymore."

"Good point. The only problem was that it released the One-Tail and the Two-Tail again to goodness knows where. I wonder what happened to them…"

_On a random island…_

The One Tail threw a coconut into his mouth. They were small, but he liked coconut milk. "I'm glad we got out of there, eh?"

"Yea… I wonder how your Jinchuuriki is…"

_In Suna…_

A bloodcurdling scream could be heard throughout Suna. "ARGH! PAPERWORK! IT'S THE PAPERWORK!"

_On a random island…_

"… I'm sure he's fine!" chorused the Bijuu.

_At the Akatsuki base…_

Naruto shrugged. "I'm sure they're fine… Speaking of Shukaku, don't we have to go to Suna soon?"

"Yea. Hey, any news from your girlfriend?" Sasori teased. Naruto glared

"No…"

They walked into Pain's office. "Ah, you brought her." Pain got up and walked over.

"Yea. Her name is… Akiko… right?" Naruto asked.

"Umeko!"

"Listen, kid, I'm just here to train you," Naruto sighed. Oh well… She had enthusiasm… That was a start. "Anyway, the sooner can we start, the sooner we can finish," Naruto said. The little girl nodded happily and followed her teacher out to the training grounds.

The Akatsuki training ground was a little thing that Deidara and accidentally created one day when he decided to blow up a portion of forest, much to Naruto's disagreement because foxes lived there. Fortunately, the foxes were hunting and there were no kits at the time so all that died were the trees.

"Now…" Naruto began. "Do you know anything about being a ninja…?" The girl shook her head. "No jutsu…?" She shook her head. "Taijutsu…?" The same response. Naruto sighed. "The history of chakra…?" She frowned.

"It has a history?" she asked in complete wonder.

"Yes. How it was discovered. Do you know who the Sage of Six Paths is?"

"Nope!" she said happily. Naruto sighed it would be a long day… Where would he start? At the beginning, of course…

"Chakra was discovered by the Sage of Six Paths…"

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: I have to train a kid?_

_Me: Yes and you're bringing her to Suna with you in the next chapter!_

_Konan: E.T.! I JUST FOUND THE CUTEST DRESS!_

_Me: LET ME SEE! *runs out*_

_Naruto: *sighs* And now I'm alone… Please R&R… I think…_


	22. Alliance with Sand 'Paint Balloons'

Chapter 22: Alliance with Sand - 'Paint Balloons'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Gaara: I finally get a part…?_

_Me: Yea. It's about time you were in it._

_Gaara: You didn't forget me!_

_Me: Of course! You're my Blood Red Sandman! Couldn't forget about you, could I?_

_Naruto: Is it even possible to forget the psychopath…?_

_Me: *hits Naruto* Don't call him that! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"Are you sure it's alright that the Jinchuuriki of a reptile be taken to Suna?" Naruto questioned his uncle. Pain sighed.

"Why shouldn't she go?" he asked.

"Jinchuuriki gain traits from their Bijuu. Reptiles are cold blooded. If we take Aki -" he was cut off.

"Umeko…" sighed his uncle.

"Fine… If we take the kid, she could end up dying of heatstroke. She'll need more water than we can carry with us."

"Hm… I didn't know that was the case… If that is so, what did you inherit?"

"I gained the ability to speak with the foxes and other canines because their language is similar to foxes and enhanced sight, sense of smell and sense of hearing. And because my mother was a Jinchuuriki, I got these." He gestured to the birthmarks on either side of his face. "And Gaara hates cold…" Naruto finished. "They're the only Jinchuuriki I knew of but I'm almost certain of what Momo's -"

"- Umeko! -"

"- The kids' case will be." Pain considered this.

"Hm… Then, if she'll need water, bring Kisame with you," he stated. Naruto sighed.

"Fine…" He turned around and walked out. Umeko was sitting patiently in the hall on a chair. Her feet couldn't reach the floor and she swung them backwards and forwards while humming a song. Her impossibly blue eyes looked up to Naruto.

"Hi, Naruto-sensei! Are we going?" she asked in that adorable, childish way that made others adore her, but just plain irritated her sensei. She pushed some of her long, slightly wavy blonde hair out of her eyes as it fell in front of them.

"Yea. We have to go and find Kisame-sensei . He's coming with us." Naruto turned to leave and Umeko jumped from her seat, smoothed out her small Akatsuki robe and followed him, walking quickly to keep up with his long strides. She looked up at her sensei, realising how tall he was for once. She barely went past his kneecaps and it seemed that there were no children in the Akatsuki. She was feeling a little lonely, if she had to be perfectly honest.

"Why is Kisame coming?" she asked innocently. Naruto glanced at her.

"The Leader and I are concerned for your wellbeing." A smile graced his features. _'Wait… Am I getting fond of the kid…?'_ The smile vanished and he looked as cold as ever, but Umeko had seen it and had mistook it for friendliness. She reached up and held onto Naruto's finger, which was all she could get her small hand around. Naruto gave her a quick glance before deciding to let her be.

Kisame happened to have been walking in their direction and when he saw the child holding Naruto's hand, he thought Naruto had finally taken a shine to her.

"Kisame, we're going to Suna. Get ready, because we're going soon." Kisame shrugged and walked back to his room to retrieve his Samehada.

_5 weeks later..._

The desert was hotter than Umeko had imagined and, as her sensei had predicted, it was proving difficult for the little girl. Thanks to Kisame's jutsu's, she was getting the adequate amount of water that she needed but the desert was still far too warm for her liking.

Naruto stood over her to stop the sun from getting to her but the heat was still pretty unbearable.

"Naruto-sensei…" she moaned. "It's too hot…" Naruto pitied her. He really did.

"Why don't you just do what foxes do in these situations, Naruto? Dig a hole and let her cool off," suggested Kisame. Naruto stopped and tested the sand with his foot.

"No chance. The sand is too loose and dry. We'd have to find some sort of rock formation where it's colder and there's more chance of finding water," Naruto explained quietly.

"What if I used a jutsu on it?" Kisame asked.

"It might work, but you'd have to constantly keep it wet, otherwise it would dry out in about 10 minutes."

"I could do that. It'll get her out of the heat, anyway." Kisame soaked the ground with a water jutsu and Naruto began to dig.

About 10 minutes later, he was done and Kisame had re-soaked the large hole Naruto had expertly dug.

"Come on in…" Naruto panted when he was done. He was hot and tired. "It's done…"

"It's about time…" Kisame gave the girl to Naruto and they went inside.

"It could have been bigger, but this was the best I could do on such short notice and in such heat… It'll be night soon anyway… We'll leave when it's darker…" Naruto lay down on the wet sand and set Umeko beside him. He didn't fall asleep but he lay there for a while, not moving at all. The toads had trained him in Sage jutsu and he was now an expert at not moving.

"Naruto, do you like Umeko?" asked Kisame.

"She's alright. She's a nice girl but I keep forgetting her name," Naruto responded.

"You should write it down somewhere. Like your arm," Kisame suggested.

"I don't have a pen," Naruto replied. Kisame threw a pen at him which Naruto expertly caught. Naruto rolled up his sleeve and paused.

"What was her name again?" he asked. Kisame facepalmed.

"Umeko…" Naruto wrote her name about halfway up his arm and pulled his sleeve down. He sat up and used chakra to make all the wet sand on him slide off. He poked his head out and noticed that it was getting dark.

"It's dark. We should go." By now, Umeko was sleeping soundly and Naruto lifted her in his arms. He used his own chakra to get rid of the sand on her and Kisame did the same with himself.

Within the hour, they were in Sand. To their surprise, Gaara, Temari and Kankuro were outside the village, waiting for them. Temari was the first to spot them.

"Look, Gaara. There they are," she said, pointing into the desert. The Akatsuki were wearing their hats and the jingling of the bells in the wind could be heard echoing across the vast desert. Gaara spotted them and immediately thought that the man with long blonde hair was Deidara. But he soon noticed that there was something about the chakra around him that was much different.

He noticed a shape jump out of the blond man's arms and land beside him. It looked like a child and his suspicions were confirmed when the shape held onto his hand for dear life, obviously nervous. But, why would the Akatsuki have a child with them?

As they came closer, Gaara was able to make them out a little better. He immediately recognised the man with the large sword and blue skin as Kisame Hoshigaki. The second was a mystery to him. And the child confused him even further.

As they finally reached the Sand nin, Gaara took a step forward and offered his hand to Kisame. "Welcome to Suna," he said in the usual gruff voice that Naruto was accustomed to hearing from the ex-Jinchuuriki.

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage," replied Kisame. Gaara offered his hand to Naruto.

"And, you are…?" he asked. The next thing he knew, Naruto was to his left, banging his head on the wall.

"Konoha… tell… people… nothing!" he said each word each time he banged his head. Kisame pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Uh… What's wrong with him?" asked Kankuro. Kisame sighed.

"Believe it or not… that's Naruto Uzumaki…" The Sand nin looked shocked. "Hmm… I guess the Leaf really does tell people nothing…" he mused. Gaara was the first to respond.

"U-uh… I-I see… Please… Do come this way…" Naruto finally stopped banging his head on the wall and slowly joined them.

They stood in his office as he listened to their proposal and, finally, they were sent to their rooms. Before Naruto could leave, Gaara stopped him.

"Naruto, could I please speak with you…?" he asked in monotone. Naruto shrugged, came back and stood before Gaara. They were alone in the room and Gaara didn't look the least bit pleased but Naruto wasn't scared. Nope. Not scared at all.

Gaara took a good look at him before motioning for him to sit. Naruto kept up his emotionless façade as Gaara sighed, sounding slightly depressed. It took him a good few minutes to speak.

"Naruto… Why would someone as good and noble as you join an organisation like Akatsuki…?" he asked sadly.

"My reasons are my own…" Naruto replied absentmindedly. Gaara glared at him.

"Naruto, that organisation removed my Bijuu and killed me… I think I have the right to know why my best friend, one who was so against the Akatsuki, decided to join them…" he stated. Naruto pondered on this for a few seconds before replying in monotone.

"… Very well… I did it to save a village that I used to call home…" Naruto mused. Gaara looked confused.

"What do you mean, "save"?" he asked.

"I was made an offer. It was join the Akatsuki and the Leaf would be safe from all attacks from the Akatsuki. I only found out recently what the real plan was." Gaara looked at him.

"Real plan?" he inquired.

"Pain of the Akatsuki is my uncle. I'm the only family he has. He refused to kill me when he found out who my parents were. The two Bijuu that had been captured were released to… well… we don't know exactly, but there have been no attacks." Naruto explained. Gaara was silent as he digested the information.

"… I… I see…" Gaara muttered. "And the Leaf knows?" he asked. Naruto nodded. "I understand you already have a treaty with them." Naruto nodded again. Gaara ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn't frustrated with Naruto. Rather, he actually didn't know why he was frustrated. It was more of the fact that he had so much running through his head that he could barely concentrate on the man in front of him.

"Why did you tell them you were dead?" he finally asked.

"Think about it… The Akatsuki are a group of S-rank criminals… If I was going to join, don't you think Lady Tsunade would have sent ANBU after me to dispose of me as quickly as possible?" Naruto responded.

"… You've certainly given me a lot to think about…" Gaara mused. Then he smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair in thought. "Hey, Naruto… Do you remember when we were children and I visited you in Konoha…?" Naruto looked up in shock.

"You're not seriously thinking-" he started. Gaara nodded and smirked.

"Oh yea…"

Moments later, the two boys were standing on a bridge between buildings.

"I can't believe you roped me into this!" smirked Naruto.

"We haven't done it since then and we may as well now that you're here!" smiled Gaara. "Oh, look! There's Baki! Get no. 1!" Naruto handed him a round object.

"3, 2, 1!" Naruto counted down. Gaara dropped the object – which was a balloon – and Gaara dropped it on Baki, spilling orange paint over his head. The two men who dropped it ran away laughing while Baki shook his fist at them angrily.

"Curse you Lord Gaara!" he yelled. Naruto and Gaara ran all the way back to the door to Gaara's office, laughing loudly. Naruto paused when he felt someone behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked a voice. Naruto turned round smiling sheepishly.

"Ah! Kisame-sensei! We were… Uh…" Naruto looked at Gaara who was standing beside him, looking just as nervous as he was.

"Doing training!" yelled Gaara.

"Uh… Yea! We were just running around Suna… Ya know… Keeping our strength up…" Naruto grinned.

"Uh-huh… Somehow, I don't believe that…" Kisame said sceptically.

"Uh… RUN!" yelled Gaara.

"Right behind ya!" Naruto responded. Both of them ran for their lives. Kisame crossed his arms and tutted.

"They're both idiots…" he sighed.

They ended up outside where Naruto, Kisame and Umeko were staying.

"So, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then!" laughed Naruto.

"Wanna do 'that' tomorrow?" asked Gaara.

"But you're a terrible-" Gaara glared at him.

"A terrible what, now?" he asked menacingly. Naruto was quiet.

"Uh… Never mind… But, don't you have work? And I have a kid to take care of. Knowing Kisame, he won't do it…"

"Uh… Yea… About the kid… Is she…? Uh… I mean… Uh… She looks like you…" Gaara stammered.

"Oh! Heck no! She might look like me, but we're not related or anything!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I thought she was your…" Naruto raised his eyebrow.

"I highly doubt that…" he sighed. "And, about 'that'… Do you even still have the-" he began.

"- Yep…" he interrupted.

"And the-" Naruto started again.

"- Yep…" Gaara smirked.

"So, it's on?" Naruto smirked.

"Oh, it's on…" Gaara glared.

"What time?"

"Let's try 10:00…"

"Hmm… Shouldn't be too warm then… Ya know, I'm gonna win again…"

"I've gotten better, you know!"

"Oh, please! You've never beat me and you never will!"

"Kankuro's on my team!"

"Well, duh, he is! He's your brother! But, no puppets!" Gaara sighed.

"Fine… But, Kisame can't use his Samehada!"

"What would he do with a Samehada?" Gaara thought for a few seconds.

"Hmm… Good point. Go tell him to get ready…" Naruto waved goodbye and ran to tell Kisame that tomorrow… they… were… playing… basketball…

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: I like basketball…_

_Me: It's the only sport I can actually play. Mainly because I can bounce the ball and I'm taller than my friends… Of course, that doesn't mean I'm any good… I can't do sports…_

_Naruto: No matter… I know for a fact Gaara can't play basketball… It was originally gonna be a dance party but I don't dance and Gaara lost his Lordi CD's._

_Me: Ah… I like Lordi…_

_Naruto: Me too._

_Me: Please R&R!_


	23. Sasuke's Love Story

Chapter 23: Sasuke's Love Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Did we win?_

_Me: Yea. Pretty much. Then you left._

_Naruto: … You're not actually going to show the fans what happened, are you…_

_Me: I don't play much basketball!_

_Naruto: I thought you said you liked it!_

_Me: 'Cause it's the only sport I'm half good at!_

_Deidara: Ain't that the truth!_

_Me: *glomps Deidara's leg* Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Sasori and Deidara weren't happy. Hidan had destroyed Sasori's room because, and I quote "Jashin had told him too" and Deidara had a crazy fangirl attached to his leg. Today was just not their day. But Naruto was having a pretty bad day too.

Umeko just couldn't get the technique right. Naruto finally snapped.

"How is it possible not to be able to do a simple Transformation Jutsu?" Naruto yelled, getting frustrated.

"But, sensei! You've been training me all day! I'm tired! I can't help it! I need a break!" whined Umeko.

"Listen! In my day, there were no brakes, no matter how much Sasuke or I asked for them," Naruto stated.

"Well, this isn't 'In your day', is it?" she yelled glaring at him. Naruto looked down at the little girl who was panting heavily with exhaustion in front of him and sighed in irritation.

"Fine! Go and do what you wish! But come back again when you're ready," he said, relieving her.

Umeko ran off while Naruto looked after her. _'Just what am__ I going to do with you…?'_ he thought.

"You should give her a treat or something," suggested Sasuke who was watching them. "It's true that we were trained a lot differently, but we were 12. She's 4. Treat her a little lighter than we were," Sasuke suggested. He was standing by a tree, watching them train.

Naruto sighed. "Whatever… But this stuff that I'm teaching her is basic academy, E-rank jutsu. I don't see how she can get it wrong." Sasuke chuckled.

"Says the man who couldn't do a simple Clone jutsu…" he smirked.

"Because the Kyuubi's chakra made me use too much chakra so I could make them properly…" replied Naruto.

"Whatever…" said Sasuke. Naruto rolled his eyes. "Anyway, don't bother talking about his. We have a mission tomorrow."

"We're only going to collect bounty…"

"Even so, a mission is a mission. And it's 10:00 at night. And you spent the last few days coming back from Suna after beating Gaara at basketball…" He smirked at the last part.

"He's no good at that game. Can't see why he likes it so much," replied Naruto. Then he paused. "Dude… I just realised something…"

"What?" asked Sasuke.

"The Uzumaki clan are the cousins of the Senju clan… And so is the Uchiha clan… Dude… This makes us cousins…" Sasuke's eyes widened in realisation.

"I think you might be right…" Then Sasuke turned around and saw something he hated… which he ran after. Naruto began to laugh. Sasuke… was chasing… a… duck.

"Sasuke, stop chasing that duck with a kunai!" Naruto yelled.

"Never!" yelled Sasuke. Naruto watched as the duck promptly attacked Sasuke and beat him. Sasuke walked back, his robe torn. "If anyone asks… it was this big…" he said in monotone, gesturing with his hands. "… And it was a summon…" Naruto burst out laughing at him. Sasuke sighed and walked back inside.

"Naruto… Let's never speak of this again… ok?"

"Now, that I can't promise!" Naruto grinned. Sasuke glared at him and walked past him mumbling something about hating ducks.

_The next day…_

Naruto and Sasuke were in the town. They were there to collect bounty, which they had just done, and were now heading home.

Naruto had just decided to stop at the pub and Sasuke was drinking orange juice. Naruto was still ordering and Sasuke was having a look around. Just then, a girl took a seat at the counter beside Sasuke.

"What can I do for you ma'am?" Daisuke asked as he placed Naruto's Sake down on the table in front of him.

"Just orange juice, please…" she said shyly. As Daisuke placed the orange juice down in front of her, she noticed Sasuke beside her. "Hi…" she said. Sasuke smiled at her.

"Hi," he replied, turning to face her.

"Do you come here often?" she asked.

"No. I don't drink. I'm only here because my friend is," he said, gesturing to Naruto who was pouring out his first shot.

"So, what's your name?" she asked.

"Sasuke Uchiha. I'm 20," he responded. "And you?" he asked.

"Tsubaki Shizuka. 20." Sasuke shook her hand.

"A pleasure. I see you don't drink either," Sasuke said, trying to make conversation.

"No. I just got thirsty and I know Daisuke well. So, are you a ninja?" she asked.

"Yea. Are you?"

"No. My parents wouldn't let me. They died when I was 8 but I still kept their wishes," she explained.

"My parents died when I was 8 too. But my parents wanted me to be a ninja. The Uchiha clan made all of their children become ninja's. Frankly, I never saw the point in it. But I suppose my clan was proud."

"My clan were always a very quiet clan. Not many of us are ninja. I wanted to be, but I respect my parents and their wishes. We used to be a larger clan but other clans took notice of my clan's weaknesses and took over a town that we owned, not far from here."

"I see…" Sasuke hated to admit it, but the girl was pretty. She had long black hair, pretty blue eyes and pale skin. The dress she wore was simple but beautiful. It was a light lavender colour with a belt around the waist that bore fabric camellia flowers on the left side that were the same colour as the dress. She wore a small heart-shaped locket around her neck that had another lavender-coloured camellia on it.

"So, what is your clan known for? Mine is our music. Even though not many were ninja, our music could be used as genjutsu, if we so wished. I was not trained in the ways of a ninja so I don't know how."

"My clan is known for the Sharingan. Ever heard of it?" Sasuke asked.

"Isn't that one of the Great Dōjutsu?" she asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Hey… Uh… Would you… uh… maybe… like to go out sometime…?" Sasuke asked sheepishly.

"You've never asked a girl out before, have you?" she giggled.

"I… uh… don't really know how it works…" stammered Sasuke. Right beside him, Naruto was trying not to laugh.

"Well, it doesn't matter, because you're doing no better than I would have done. I never would have been able to ask," she laughed.

"So… is that a yes…?" Tsubaki nodded.

"Of course!" she smiled. Tsubaki pushed some hair out of the way of her face, saw the time and got up. "Sorry, but I really have to go. My foster Mum must be wondering where I am," she explained.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Sasuke asked, standing up as well.

"Yea. How about at the fountain at 2:00?" she suggested.

"I'll see you there, then," Sasuke smiled.

"Bye, then…" she said.

"Bye."

Sasuke watched her leave and sighed in contentment. He sat down beside Naruto, put his head in his hand and smiled, looking at nothing in particular and only thinking about one thing in particular. Her.

Naruto laughed. "We had better get back too." When Sasuke didn't notice him, Naruto waved a hand in front of his face. When that didn't work, he smiled knowingly, grabbed the case containing the money, grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him out of the bar.

_Later…_

Naruto left the case of money with Kakuzu and reported to his uncle who seemed puzzled as to why Sasuke wasn't speaking with him.

"Is something wrong with him?" he asked.

"He met a girl," Naruto explained.

"Ah! The honeymoon phase!" smiled Nagato.

"I remember when I asked my girlfriend, Hinata, out. I defended her in a fight and by the time I had beaten the enemy, I had 20 shuriken and 14 kunai in my back and I didn't even know! I cared more about her…" Naruto sighed.

"How did you notice?" Nagato asked. Naruto smiled.

"Well… I bled… and she screamed… So, yea. I still have the scars, you know," Naruto grinned. Nagato laughed.

"So, he's dating her then?" he grinned.

"Apparently. Don't bother any with any missions for him tomorrow," Naruto explained, still smiling.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the arm. "If I don't take him to his room, he'd never go to bed. I know I didn't…" Naruto mused. He led Sasuke out and took him to his room, laying him down on the bed before leaving.

_At breakfast…_

Sasuke didn't eat. Or, rather he couldn't. He was too busy thinking about his sweet Tsubaki. Naruto raised an eyebrow and decided to try something. Everyone else was at the table and Naruto saw the perfect opportunity.

"Why isn't Sasuke talking to us?" asked Sasori. Naruto looked over at Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke! It's 2:00!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke finally became conscious of his surroundings, yelped and fell off his chair.

"I'm gonna be late!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet in a panic.

"Calm down, Sasuke! It's only 9:00!" Naruto laughed.

"What happens at 2:00?" asked Deidara.

"Nothing happens at 2:00!" yelled Sasuke in a panic.

"Sasuke's got a girlfriend!" yelled Naruto.

"Ooh!" teased the rest of the Akatsuki and they laughed.

"Good on ya, Sasuke!" yelled Zetsu. Sasuke looked angrily at Naruto.

"I thought we were friends!" yelled Sasuke.

"Hey, they deserve to know why you'll be gone all day! And anyway, my uncle knows. He'd tell Konan at some point and it wouldn't be long before all of the Akatsuki knew!" Sasuke growled and walked away, muttering something about revenge.

"So, what's she like?" Deidara asked Naruto.

"Well, I don't personally see anything in her but I know she's apparently quiet and plays music. I don't know much more about her other than Sasuke is head over heels for her," Naruto explained. "And her name is Tsubaki or something. Tsubaki Shizuka. I think… I don't know. Ask him. He seems to remember her every feature anyway…" Naruto said absentmindedly.

Deidara sighed. "I remember my first girlfriend…"

"You had a girlfriend?" asked Tobi. Deidara glared.

"Yea… She cheated on me with the boy next door…"

"My first girlfriend was killed in a ninja attack…" sighed Hidan.

"My first girlfriend dumped me because I was too annoying…" whined Tobi.

"Girls just tended to ignore me…" sighed Zetsu. No one paid any attention to him. "Just like everyone else…"

"Naruto still has his girlfriend!" piped Tobi.

"You have a girlfriend?" asked Sasori.

"Yea. Deidara's met her. So has Kisame, Uncle Nagato and Konan," Naruto explained.

"The Hyuga, right?" asked Deidara. "Do you still speak to her?"

"Yea. I send her the odd letter every now and then."

"I wonder how Sasuke will do with his girlfriend…" mused Hidan.

_2:01…_

Sasuke waited. He had been there early. It was 1 minute past and he was panicking that she wasn't coming. He prayed that she was coming. And she did.

"Sasuke!" he heard behind him. He turned to see Tsubaki coming towards him. Sasuke wasn't in his usual Akatsuki attire. He wore a black t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol at the top of his back and a large, red cloud underneath it. He also wore a pair of black jeans.

Tsubaki wore what she wore the night she had met him. The simple dress that made her so beautiful in Sasuke's eyes.

"Sorry if I'm late…" she smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry. You're not late. I was just early," Sasuke grinned.

"So… What do you want to do?" asked Tsubaki.

"Maybe… just walk? And tell each other a little more about ourselves…?" Sasuke suggested.

"Sure," she smiled. They walked and talked about themselves. Sasuke told her all about the Sharingan and about what happened to his brother. In return she told him all about her clans genjutsu, even though she had never actually used it. Finally, she asked him a question. "Sasuke?" she began.

"Yes?"

"That cloud on your shirt… Are you Akatsuki?" she asked nervously.

"Uh… yea. Why?"

"I heard you were all S-class criminals…" she said uneasily.

"Well… we were, but that was before I joined. You see, we're trying to achieve world peace," he explained. Tsubaki smiled with relief.

"Oh! That's good to hear!" she giggled. They both sat down on a bench. They had walked around for a while and had ended up by the fountain again. Yellow Pansies, Daffodils and Plum Blossom trees flourished all around them. The gentle trickle of the water soothed all those who heard it.

"So… What kind of music do you play?" Sasuke asked.

"I play the piano quite a lot. And sometimes I play the leaf whistle, but I'm not sure if that's an instrument…" she mused.

"I play the piano a little. My mother tried to teach me when I was little but I was never very good at it. Not that I didn't like it. I just couldn't play well," Sasuke stated.

"I'm sure you're not that bad…"

"Oh, I was bordering on awful and bad… I could barely play two handed…" Sasuke grinned, fidgeting slightly. Tsubaki laughed.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not too great with music either. Even though I like playing piano, I don't play very complex songs," she explained.

"There's nothing wrong with that. Look at the bright side. You're better than I am," Sasuke chuckled. Tsubaki wrapped her arms around his arm and leaned on him, closing her eyes in contentment. Sasuke sighed.

"You know… You should come over to my house sometime and meet my foster Mum. She's really nice. You would like her."

"I'd love that but… she'd find out I'm in the Akatsuki she'll probably never let me see you again…"

"I'll explain everything to them tonight. I'm sure they'll understand if I tell them you're looking for world peace."

"Well… If you're sure…"

"Trust me. She's going to love you. I know I do," she smiled. Sasuke began to blush.

"S-seriously…?" he asked nervously.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? You feel the same way, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes! Of course I do!" Sasuke exclaimed quickly. Suddenly, she looked at her watch and she freaked out.

"Darn it! My Mum said I had to be back an hour ago! I'll be killed!" she whined.

"I'm sure your house isn't that far away. If you run you'll make it. I need to inform the Leader that I won't be doing anything tomorrow either," Sasuke explained.

"Ok! I'll see you here, same time tomorrow! Bye, Sasuke!" She planted a kiss on his cheek, got up and ran off, waving as she ran. Sasuke waved back and slowly moved his hand to his cheek as soon as she was out of sight.

"She kissed me…" he half whispered, his face emotionless. Then he burst into a grin. "YES!" he hissed. He spun around and marched home.

Upon entering, he immediately ran into Pain. ", Leader!" Sasuke exclaimed merrily.

"Hello… Sasuke…" Nagato said slowly, looking like he had been caught off guard by Sasuke's attitude.

"Got another date tomorrow, so no missions!" Sasuke walked past him before he could get an answer.

_The next day…_

"She totally gets it!" exclaimed Tsubaki. Sasuke smiled.

"That's great!" Sasuke grinned.

"And she wants to meet you tonight, if that's at all possible! I'm only here to tell you this, though. I have to go straight home and tell her so she can get dinner ready," she explained.

"That'll be great. I'll have to tell the others that I won't be home this evening, then."

_That evening…_

Tsubaki had waited for him outside her house. Sasuke had been given the address and had made sure to come to her house at exactly the right time in exactly the right clothes, with a present for her foster mother, hoping to get on her good side.

Sasuke had come in black zip-up shirt with a small Uchiha symbol on the back and a white t-shirt underneath. He also wore black trousers and black trainers.

He was led into the house where he met her foster mother.

"Hello, Sasuke. It's so nice to meet you," smiled Tsubaki's foster mother smiled. "I'm Ayaka Ai. Tsubaki's foster mother."

Sasuke shook her hand and smiled. "A pleasure. I brought these for you to say hello." Sasuke held out a bouquet of pale lavender-coloured roses, which she seemed happy with and promptly went to put them in a vase. After they ate, Sasuke began to tell stories of his time in Team 7.

"… So Naruto and I climb out of the river and find out that the flare didn't go off and we figure out that Sakura must have been captured so Naruto stands up and we find out that our hands have been stuck together. So we try just about everything to get it off but it doesn't work and then Naruto tells me he has to go to the bathroom!" Tsubaki and Ayaka were almost spitting their sides laughing as Sasuke continued to tell the story.

"… And then Kakashi-sensei tells us it won't come off for three days and Naruto has to go to the bathroom again!"

"That's hilarious!" laughed Ayaka.

"And then there was the time when we all tried to see under Kakashi-sensei's mask! It didn't go well, though… So…" And Sasuke launched into another story, making the two women laugh again.

_Later…_

Sasuke walked into the base, smiling.

"So, how'd your date go?" teased Deidara.

"None of your business…"

"You missed movie-pizza night," stated Tobi.

"I had a better time than movie-pizza night…"

"But the movie's still on! Come on! You're both gonna beat the Reibi!" exclaimed Sasori.

"Oh! I love this part!" exclaimed Naruto.

"How much did they pay you to act in this?" asked Kakuzu.

"Not enough…" muttered Sasuke.

"… So, seriously. How much did they pay?" he asked again.

"Uh… Very little if I remember correctly. About the average bounty we would get," Sasuke explained. Kakuzu looked disappointed.

"It was fun though. Remember when you pushed Sakura into that river during the scene when we were hiding while rowing down the river and they made us do the whole scene again as soon as she dried?" Naruto mused. Sasuke paused and chuckled.

"Yea. And that time you couldn't stop laughing? I think it's in the bloopers on the DVD."

"It was on the DVD?"

"Oh! Wait, they didn't put bloopers on it! Remember we made Masashi promise not to?"

"That's because you -" Naruto began.

"- DON'T TELL THEM!" Sasuke yelled.

"Hey, Naruto? Why couldn't you stop laughing?" asked Konan.

"Because _he _kept pulling faces at me," Naruto stated, gesturing to Sasuke. "Masashi got so mad at him for ruining the scenes that he threw the script at him." Konan began to giggle. "Oh! Look! It's the scene where we team up!"

"YAY!" yelled Sasuke jumping onto the sofa beside him.

Little did they know this would be their last night of fun for a while…

_NARUTO_

_Sasuke: THANK YOU! *glomps me*_

_Me: What? *OHMIGOSH! HE'S HUGGING ME :D*_

_Sasuke: For giving me a girlfriend! … Wait… What happens next…?_

_Me: Like I'm gonna tell the fans!_

_Fans: *start attacking out of rage*_

_Me: ARGH! BACK YOU COOKIES! BACK I SAY! PLEASE R&R! OW! DON'T BITE MY LEG YA COOKIE!_


	24. Captured

Chapter 24: Capture

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: I dreamt this chapter… It felt like a sign… A sign that I had to post it…_

_Naruto: Knowing you, this is gonna have something to do with me, right?_

_Me: NOT TELLING! Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

So she'd learnt the jutsu. So she did everything he said. So he maybe had a soft spot for her. Naruto wouldn't admit that… No… He was too proud for that. He wouldn't admit that he liked some kid. He wouldn't admit that he was proud of her. He wouldn't give Umeko the satisfaction.

So, instead, he trained her twice as hard. But for a while, that wouldn't be happening. No. The Akatsuki would be too busy. So, I guess I should just tell you what happens…

Naruto was outside training Umeko. She'd just got the jutsu Naruto had been teaching her right. It took about the same time Naruto had learnt the clone jutsu in. He was thinking of giving her a little time off… But, then again, he had a strong belief that if you take one day off, it'll take three days to catch up with your training. That's why he wouldn't do that unless necessary.

But, he didn't know that that would involuntarily be the case. So, as he was training her, he didn't expect the ground to suddenly explode. He didn't expect flames to start rising in the trees. And he certainly didn't expect a group of ninja to come down from the trees. There were three in total.

"Amaya… Get inside… Now…" he muttered, taking a fighting stance. Umeko ran into the base, not thinking about Naruto getting her name wrong. She ran into pain on the way in.

"Leader! Sensei is fighting them alone out there! You have to help him!" she cried, tears beginning to fall.

Pain said nothing and ran past her. "Stay in the base, Umeko!" yelled Kisame as he passed her.

One of the ninja took a step towards Naruto causing him to back up a little. Naruto unsheathed his precious sword and pointed it at the group.

"State your names and business…" he hissed. The ninja at the front smirked.

"My name is Arashi," he stated. He was a tall man with short black hair and black eyes. He wore a black shirt and blue jeans.

"My name is Atsushi," said another man. Atsushi was short with short brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a brown shirt with matching brown jeans.

"And my name is Midori," smirked the girl of the group. She had long black hair and green eyes. She wore a dress that Naruto thought looked a little like Sakura's, but with no white, no clan symbol and in green.

"And we are here because our master has ordered us to collect slaves for a little project…" explained Arashi, smiling evilly.

"Well, you're certainly idiotic if you think you can take an Akatsuki…" smirked Naruto. Arashi chuckled and within seconds, he was behind Naruto. Naruto's eyes went red and slitted. He spun around and was greeted by a fist in his gut, causing him to double over and stumble backwards.

Arashi put a hand to Naruto's forehead and Naruto began to feel the strength leave his body. He struggled against him for a few seconds before his arms fell limply by his sides; his eyes returning to normal. Then, without warning, Arashi was suddenly thrust to the side and he dropped into his uncle's arms.

"What happened, Naruto? How did you get beaten so quickly?" he demanded.

"That guy… I think he's a chakra absorber…" muttered Naruto, pulling himself back up. He stumbled a little before regaining his composure. "Darn it… He absorbed over 1/3 of my chakra… And so quickly, too…"

Sasuke was the next to do anything about them. He pulled his sword out and began to attack Atsushi. Atsushi dodged him and raced through hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" he yelled. The dragon surged towards Sasuke. Sasuke didn't seem bothered. He charged his sword with lightning.

"Chidori Stream!" he yelled, striking the dragon. The electricity surged through it, making it lose its form. It splashed to the ground, leaving a long puddle. "Chidori!" he yelled, striking the ground. Electricity surged through along the puddle and struck Atsushi, making him scream. He fell to the ground, paralysed, but, after a few seconds, he shrugged it off and slowly stood.

Kisame, meanwhile, was stabbing at Arashi. He was momentarily backed up by Naruto who had just tossed some shuriken into the air. He clapped his hands.

"Wind Style: Violent Wind Palm!" he yelled. A strong gale blew the shuriken towards Arashi who dodged. The shuriken continued on past him and went straight through a tree and into a rock. The wind, however, made Atsushi fly into a tree. Arashi turned to look at Naruto and smirked.

"You'll do…" he muttered. He, once again, lunged at the young blond. Naruto's eyes went red and slitted again. With lightning speed he dodged him before Arashi went to punch him. Naruto ducked and brought his leg around to trip him up. Arashi jumped over his leg. His hand reached out and latched onto Naruto's head again.

Sasori saw and quickly jumped in to help Naruto with his puppets. Arashi let go just as he absorbed another 1/3 of Naruto's chakra. He only had 1/3 left but he'd have to make do. He jumped to Sasori's side to help him but were soon scattered as Midori used a jutsu.

"Wind Release: Flower Scattering Dance!" she exclaimed. A whirlwind slammed into the ground between Naruto and Sasori. Naruto stumbled as he landed but was soon held up by Deidara. Deidara put a hand into his clay pouch and lifted out some clay. He threw the newly-formed clay bird at Midori who jumped out of the way. She looked down at her dress and noticed that the end was slightly charred. "Idiot!" she shrieked. "You don't know how expensive this was!"

"And, frankly dear," began Deidara, "I don't give a damn!" he yelled throwing another clay bird her way. She dodged again but was greeted by Naruto who had a sick grin on his face.

"I'm gonna enjoy this…" he grinned. He grabbed her arm and, with little or no effort, pulled it straight out of its socket, leaving a blood trail. For a moment she said nothing. Then, she screamed, drawing the attention of her teammates.

"Midori!" yelled Atsushi in shock. With seconds, Hidan was behind the woman. He dragged his finger through the blood before consuming it. Then he drew the now-familiar symbol of Jashin into the ground. He quickly plunged his spear through his heart making her clutch at her own with her remaining arm. She then collapsed onto the ground, dead.

Naruto joined Kakuzu who was currently making the masks on his back come off. "Need any help?" he asked.

"Yes. Can you keep them away while I complete this?" Kakuzu asked. "I, of course, won't be paying you…" Naruto smirked.

"Cheap old Kakuzu… I wouldn't have it any other way!" he grinned.

Naruto took up a fighting stance and jumped in front of some oncoming shuriken. "Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!" he yelled, clapping his hands. The shuriken went back the other way and went straight past him. At that moment, Kakuzu finished, Naruto left him to take care of Atsushi himself and ran over to aid Sasuke, who was currently in a spot of bother.

Arashi was standing over Sasuke with his hand wrapped around Sasuke's throat, stealing his chakra. Just as Sasuke had given up, Naruto tackled Arashi, making him drop Sasuke.

Naruto stumbled to his feet just as Arashi also pulled himself up. Arashi pulled out a kunai and charged at Naruto. Naruto tried to get out of the way but the kunai managed to tear a deep cut through the skin on his arm as he dodged.

Naruto skidded away, clutching painfully at his arm. His chakra was almost gone and there was nothing he could really do other than Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. He raised his sword and ran at Arashi, charging his blade with chakra. Arashi raised his kunai and jumped back. Then, when Naruto's sword had done a full arc, he ran towards Naruto and grabbed his throat. Nagato noticed and began to run his way just as the last of Naruto's chakra was drained. His body shuddered, then went still just as Nagato tackled Arashi.

As Naruto landed on the ground, all feeling left him and everything became silent. The world around him became a blur. Naruto noticed that breathing was difficult and was breathing heavily. He was rolled over and saw someone above him. It appeared to be his uncle and it looked like he was yelling at him, but Naruto couldn't hear. Everything was silent. He quickly blinked weakly a few times, trying to clear his vision before he noticed everything was going dark.

The last thing he saw was a bright light above him that seemed to blow Nagato away. Then a tall shadow stood over him. After that, everything went black.

Nagato tried to pick himself up. Because he was in Yahiko's body, he felt no pain, but he noticed that most of his chakra rods were knocked out.

"Konan!" he yelled. Konan turned from her opponent and ran in Nagato's direction. "Don't worry about me! Help Naruto!" he yelled. Konan turned to see Arashi standing over Naruto. She turned and ran towards Naruto just as Arashi yelled.

"Atsushi! We've done what he have to! Get over here!" Atsushi looked around at his opponents and sighed.

"I'm not getting out of here, Arashi! Just get out!" he yelled.

Arashi pulled out a scroll and spread it onto the ground. He slammed his hand down on it and there was a poof of smoke as he disappeared. Konan headed back to Nagato and quickly replaced his chakra rods. He sat up just as the smoke cleared and ran over to where Naruto lay in the smoke. Seconds later, he came out of the cloud wordlessly, holding Naruto's sword and walked over to Atsushi. He picked him up by the collar.

"Where did your friend go…?" he asked. Atsushi smirked.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Where… did… he… GO?" Pain demanded, losing his temper.

"What's wrong, Leader?" asked Sasuke. Pain was silent.

"… They took Naruto…" he said quietly. Sasuke was the next to lose his temper. He quickly pulled out his sword and was about to strike Atsushi but Kisame held him back.

"No, Sasuke. We need him to tell us where Naruto is," he reasoned. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. Kisame let him go and he put the sword back. Nagato turned to Kisame and Sasori.

"… Get what you can out of him…" Kisame came over and dragged Atsushi off into the base. "… I suppose the rest of us will have to wait…"

_Meanwhile…_

Naruto opened his eyes to find his arms bound by chains to two pillars. His feet were also chained to the floor. He noted the chain hung around his neck. He slightly lifted his head to see a man talking with what appeared to be two guards.

One guard nodded towards him and the man turned around, smirking. He was a tall man with long black hair. He wore a black shirt and black trousers. He walked over to Naruto, lifting something from its place on the wall as he came. Naruto looked on weakly as he came to a stop in front of him.

"Well, well… Look who's finally come back to the land of the living… What's your name?" he asked, still smiling. Naruto gave him a sharp glare that only he or Sasuke could pull off. The man frowned. "I don't think you get it, do you…? If you do not obey or speak when spoken to, you are punished… Got it…? Now… What is your name…?"

Naruto refused to speak. He only continued to glare. The man growled in anger and grabbed the hanging bit of chain around Naruto's neck. He gave it a hard yank. Naruto squeaked as the chain tightened around his neck and he was choked for a second.

Naruto, for a second, hung his head before looking back up. "Now… What's your name…?" said the man, tightening his grip on the chain in his hand, threatening to pull it again. For a few seconds, Naruto was silent, but then, he decided to speak.

"… Naruto Uzumaki…" he replied quietly, hanging his head in shame.

"… Good… My name is Akio… I'm in charge of all this… In other words… I'm the master… and you're the dog… And I'm going to train you…" he smirked. Naruto looked up.

"And how are you going to do that?" he asked. His answer was a lash across his chest from a whip.

"Do not speak unless spoken to… Understand…?" Akio growled. Naruto was silent until Akio, once again, raised the whip.

"I understand…" he blurted out. Akio smiled.

"Brilliant. Now… Do you agree to work for me…?" Naruto glared at him but gave him no answer, resulting in another hard lash from the whip that cut his cloak, made a large gash and made him cough up blood. Akio leaned down.

"Do you agree to work for me?" he asked again, growling this time. Naruto spat blood out of his mouth and it hit Akio in the face. Akio stumbled backwards in surprise. He angrily wiped the blood off and marched over to Naruto, grabbing the chain around his neck and sharply pulling it.

"You _will_ agree…" he hissed. "You have no choice… Now… Will you work for me?" Naruto nodded quickly and the chain was released. Akio motioned for the two guards to do something. They approached Naruto and attached a long chain to his arms and legs, giving him enough room to move them. Just as they were about to unlock the chains holding him to the pillars, Akio stopped them.

"Wait," he said. "This one's a ninja. Apply the chakra blocking seals so he can't manipulate his chakra." The two guards began to apply a seal to Naruto's forehead. It was painful, but Naruto had figured out that he was not to speak, so he held his tongue.

The guards finally unlocked the chains and he was led outside. The base was very small so it didn't take long.

"Alright, right now, we're making a bigger base. You have to drag those logs all the way up the hill, come back down and get another one. At the top, there are people working on building it. You have to bring the wood," the guard explained in a gruff voice. Naruto was pushed towards the logs. "It'll take you a good ten minutes to get to the new base. Don't go too fast. We want to get as much work out of you as possible. And I don't want you talking to any of the other prisoners." It was obvious that the guard wasn't being kind. Naruto lifted the log over one shoulder, wincing as some splinters went into his shoulder, and began his journey up the hill.

Upon reaching the top, he saw something that quite shocked him. He noticed that some of the people there were village leaders. There weren't many, but he recognised a few.

Sumaru who had recently become the leader of Hoshigakure. Naruto was quite surprised to see him here. He had been in close contact with Sumaru and thus the village had allied with the Akatsuki very quickly.

The next person he saw was Tsukino from Tsukigakure. Her case was the same as with Sumaru's except she had become her village chief a lot sooner.

To Naruto's relief, no Kage's were present. But, then again, how could they be? They were all more powerful than Naruto was. He walked over to Sumaru who was working on building and dropped the log by him. Sumaru turned and gave him a look that asked 'What-are-you-doing-here?' Naruto shrugged with a look that said 'What-can-you-do?'

Sumaru frowned and reluctantly got back to his work. He also knew better than to speak. Naruto turned and walked away. Tsukino glanced at him as he passed. She instantly recognised him and her eyes went wide with shock. She watched him leave with a sad look in her eyes. Naruto hadn't even looked at her.

Naruto got an idea as he lifted another log. Why couldn't he just contact the Akatsuki through his mind and tell them where he was? When he got into the forest and out of the sights and the hearing distance of the guards, he put the log down silently and made a hand seal, closing his eyes in concentration. As he gathered the chakra, a sharp pain shot into his forehead and centred in the seal.

Naruto quietly hissed in pain but kept trying to concentrate chakra. But he couldn't. The pain became too much and he finally slapped his hand to his forehead. This wouldn't work. If only he could find out what the seal looked like. Then he could undo it. But he didn't see anything nearby that he could see his reflection in…

Then a thought hit him. He could just look at someone else's seal. He could undo it, send the Akatsuki a message and then quickly redo it again. It would be painful but it would only take a few minutes.

Naruto picked up the log after his head cleared and walked up the hill. He dumped the log beside Sumaru again, considering he was the only one Naruto could trust to turn around.

When he did, Naruto caught a glimpse of his seal. It was rather simple. The guards must have been amateurs. Sure the seal held back chakra, but it could easily be undone in about a minute or so. He could send a message, give his uncle his location and get out of there when he came. It was as good a plan as any… Unless, that is, that they were out of range… Naruto just had to pray that he wasn't…

And so, he walked back into the forest and out of sight of the guards. Within minutes the seal was undone and he tried to send a message… but he couldn't detect any Akatsuki signals. _'Darn it! I'm __out of range!'_ he thought frantically. He quickly redid the seal again just as a guard walked past him. He walked past the guard and headed on down the hill. He'd just have to wait and see what his uncle would do. He had faith that they would get him out… one way or the other…

_Meanwhile…_

Kisame sighed as he walked out of the room.

"Did you find anything?" asked Pain quickly.

"No… He's refusing to speak…" he sighed. Sasori came out after him.

"So, how do we get him to talk?" asked Sasori. Sasuke, who was standing beside Pain, smirked.

"I think I know how…" he stated coldly.

"How?" asked Pain.

"In Konoha, we had a professional interrogator. He was so brutal that he would use just the right form of vicious, painful torture that could keep him alive but could get the information out of him in less than 10 minutes…" Sasuke explained.

Pain seemed impressed. "Who are they?" he asked. Sasuke chuckled.

"Hardcore interrogators…" he stated. "Ibiki Morino… And of course Anko Mitarashi if she absolutely must come but that wouldn't exactly be a bad thing… On the contrary… She'd make him speak that much faster…" Sasuke mused. Pain looked thoughtful.

"… Very well…" he stated. "Could it be possible for you to bring them here?" he asked.

"I'd be only too happy to…" he smirked. Pain nodded and Sasuke set out.

_Four days later…_

Naruto hated to admit it, but he wasn't getting out of here… His 'master' had decided that he wasn't working hard enough for the past few days and had decided to beat him for it. He was currently chained to the pillars in his cell, his head hanging limply. Blood stained his hair and his Akatsuki robe had been torn to pieces by the whip. Bruises and cuts covered his body from the whipping and beating.

He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for the last 10 minutes. His spirits were broken. The rules had been jammed into his head. 'If you collapse, you are beaten until you get up. If you speak without permission, you are whipped. If you do not work hard enough, you are choked. Understand?' Those were the last words his master had given him before leaving. And Naruto was going to abide by them. He was going to work harder. After all, he didn't want to be beaten again.

As much as he hated to admit it, he had given up. Even if the Akatsuki came, there's no way he'd get out. He had recently found that the seal on his forehead would kill him if he stepped out of their range. He was out of options and had just slipped into darkness again…

_Meanwhile…_

Sasuke had just returned with Ibiki, Inoichi and Anko (because she insisted). The Hokage had ordered that they protect the Jinchuuriki. No options about it. Ibiki had gladly come.

They were led to the room with Atsushi in it. He was tied to a chair and Sasuke was instructed to leave. As he closed the door, Sasuke could hear quiet whimpers coming from the room. Pain was standing next to him. Sasuke counted down silently on his fingers, mouthing the numbers.

"3, 2, 1," he mouthed. Then screams echoed from the room. Pain looked confused. "He only gives 3 seconds before he goes from good cop to bad cop," Sasuke explained. 5 minutes later, Ibiki and Anko popped their heads through the door.

"Got it!" exclaimed Anko happily. He told us about a map hidden in his jacket." She held up the map. "This is where they are! Let's go save us some Jinchuuriki!" she yelled happily. Sasuke facepalmed.

"Is she still doing that?" he groaned.

"She took a liking to the kid. Don't know when. She's looking forward to seeing him…" explained Ibiki. Sasuke nodded in slight understanding. Anko had always been a bit of a nutcase, but this was just strange… But Sasuke just shrugged at his leader.

"Told you they were good interrogators…" he smirked.

"Oh, aye…" said Pain.

In less than 10 minutes, Pain's Paths and the entire Akatsuki – bar Naruto! Duh! – was in front of the base, moving out. Ibiki and Anko had been told to go with them, so they left.

_1 week later…_

Naruto lifted another log to pull it up the hill. His arms and legs ached and he felt like he was going to collapse at any minute. He winced as splinters dug into his already splinter-covered shoulder. Blood poured down his back from an open wound, as did his side where a deep gash was visible. His cloak had long since torn and became unusable.

His spirit was broken. He had abandoned hope. At first, he thought his uncle would come but it had been a week and four days. And, even if they did come, he couldn't leave. The only reason being the seal on his forehead. He had also recently found that he could be controlled through it and used to attack enemies, just like what had happened 3 days before when they used him to destroy attacking Sound nin. Naruto's headband had been left behind at the base. Now, however, he wished he had worn it. He had been beaten and kicked so many times that half of his memories were a blur.

Unbeknownst to the young Jinchuuriki, his uncle, Anko, Ibiki and Sasuke were standing in the trees, waiting for Naruto to come into the forest whilst the others disabled the guards. Just as Naruto began to walk, he felt his legs buckle from underneath him. He dropped the log and landed on his side, panting heavily. A guard walked up to him and frowned.

"Get up…" he growled. When Naruto didn't (or rather couldn't) move, he kicked him. "I said, get up!" He kicked Naruto again, harder. Naruto heard something in his chest crack and he coughed up blood, rolling a few feet away.

"Please… Not again…" Naruto panted. The guard pulled out a whip.

"No speaking without permission…" The guard brought the whip down on Naruto's chest with a crack, causing the intruders in the forest to flinch. Pain was about to lunge forward to his nephew's rescue but he was held back by Sasuke. His uncle or not, Nagato knew he had to wait.

"Get up!" the guard yelled. When Naruto still didn't get up, he was lifted by the chain around his neck and put on his feet. "Work!" yelled the guard, turning away. Naruto, who was now back on his feet – albeit shakily – lifted the log and grimaced in pain as he slowly began to drag the log up the hill. Nagato, seeing his opening, jumped from the bushes.

"Naruto!" he hissed quietly, making sure the guards didn't hear him. For a moment, Naruto felt hope and thought about pausing and turning his head but instead bowed his head in shame and walked faster. He knew the seal on his forehead wouldn't let him leave. It would kill him if he did and the fox couldn't replenish his chakra enough to remove it.

"Naruto!" whispered Sasuke, trying to get his attention. Naruto walked past them without so much as a look. The Akatsuki members ran towards him when they realised Naruto couldn't or didn't want to hear them.

Nagato stopped Naruto with his hand to notice a distant look in his eyes. "Naruto? Are you alright?" he asked warily. Suddenly, Naruto collapsed and began to writhe on the ground in pain. They heard a chuckle in the trees and Nagato's head shot up.

"He knows better than to speak…" the man chuckled. The Akatsuki could remember him as the chakra absorber who had taken Naruto's chakra on the day they took him. Nagato looked down again to see Naruto stop struggling and stand. His eyes were blank. "Now the fun begins!" the man smirked.

Naruto turned to look his uncle in the eye… and lunged at him…

_NARUTO_

_Me: I'm not gonna have much time for writing anymore… It's the first day of term tomorrow…_

_Naruto: NOOOOOOO! CLIFFHANGERS!_

_Me: Get used to it… It'll be happening a lot more often…_

_Naruto: Yea… 'Cause you have severe procrastination problems…_

_Me: *hums and ignores Naruto*_

_Naruto: … Just like that… E.T….? E.T.! End the chapter!_

_Me: __*snaps out of daze* Oh! Right! Please R&R!_


	25. Lost

Chapter 25: Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Yo to the people! How y'all doin' there, folks?_

_Naruto: Eh… E.T…. You're white…_

_Me: That's doesn't deprive me to the right to say yo to the people, does it?_

_Naruto: … No… I suppose it doesn't… But still, what if you offend people?_

_Me: I've never offended people by saying it before, have I?_

_Naruto: … No… I suppose you haven't…_

_Me: Anyway, I suppose you guys have heard of Vinthoven, right? Well, a few months ago, Vthov uploaded a song he wrote. You rappers out there will be interested in this. It's a rap that goes out to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan._

_Naruto: So, APPARENTLY, E.T. just HAD to ask him whether he wanted us to advertise it…_

_Me: Shut up, Naruto… I know you hate rap…_

_Naruto: I DO!_

_Me: RAP IS TIGHT, YO!_

_Naruto: …_

_Me: Ok… So, I want YOU! My CRAZY fans, to watch it and donate to the appeal! Of course, I'm too young to do it, but were I old enough, I would! I'm talking to the people that are in charge of their own money! Not the kiddies out there! The people over 20! So, please support the appeal and please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto lunged at his uncle without a word. Pain ducked his punch and back flipped away when Naruto tried a spin kick. Pain, for a moment, said nothing. Then he finally mustered the courage to ask what was going on.

"… Naruto…?" he croaked. "… Why…?" Naruto ran towards him and punched him in the gut before kicking him into a tree with a roundhouse kick to the side. Naruto back flipped away and landed on his feet. Sasuke looked awestruck.

"How did he…? In his condition he shouldn't be able to…" Sasuke closed his eyes. "Sharingan!" he cried. He looked at Naruto's chakra flow. "No… It's not a Genjutsu… It's a…" He noticed a point on Naruto's forehead where chakra was focusing. Sasuke looked at Pain who was getting up.

"Leader! He's being controlled! He's using chakra to attack that he can't afford to use! We have to stop him! Now! If we let him go on, it could kill him!" Sasuke yelled. The man in the trees laughed.

"So, the boy figures it out! Normally, seals like this wouldn't let the bearer use chakra! But I'm relaxing that part and controlling him!" he cackled. Naruto stared blankly ahead of him before punching at Ibiki and Anko who tried to restrain him before red chakra burned them, causing them to let go.

"What the-" cried Anko as her hands were burned.

"Kyuubi chakra!" exclaimed Ibiki.

Naruto growled slightly before propelling himself towards the Konoha shinobi, fangs bared. He latched onto Ibiki's arm with his claws and sunk his fangs into his arm. Ibiki cried out in pain as his skin began to char.

"EVERYONE STAND BACK!" they heard Pain yell. Ibiki threw Naruto off him and pulled away, startled by what the young Jinchuuriki had done. Pain raised a hand. (A/N: And because I like the Japanese name better…) "BANCHO TEN'IN!" he yelled. Naruto, now in his One-Tail form, was pulled towards his uncle and pinned to the ground. Naruto struggled furiously against his uncle but couldn't break out of his grip. Nagato pulled out a long chakra rod and closed his eyes. "Naruto… I'm sorry…"

Nagato drove the chakra rod into his nephew's shoulder, going right into his bone with a sickening crack. Naruto paused as Nagato's chakra began to flow into him, controlling his movements. Nagato lifted Naruto's head with his hand and laid eyes on the glowing seal.

"Strange… This is the work of an amateur… If he can control the Kyuubi, Naruto was either extremely weak or the person controlling him is very powerful… But seeing as he's the one who brought Naruto down in the first place…" Nagato began to see red as his bloody anger seethed inside of him. They would pay with their lives for doing this to him…

Nagato, as quick as a flash, removed the seal from Naruto's forehead, causing Naruto to faint. "Get him out of here… Bring him to Konan…" he hissed to Sasuke. Sasuke pulled out Naruto's chakra rod, wincing at the squelches and cracks it made and at the blood that oozed from it in a steady flow, and lifted in onto his back. Just as he was about to run, a paper bomb nearby went off, hurtling both of them into a tree. Sasuke slid to the ground, front burned.

Sasuke pulled himself to his feet to notice Naruto slumped on the ground beside the tree, head bleeding badly. He got up and picked Naruto up, once again putting him on his back. Nagato, who had witnessed them, once again, injure his nephew, roared in anger.

"TRUE PAIN WILL BE ALL YOU SHALL FEEL FOR ALL ETERNITY!" he bellowed in anger. "CHIBAKU TENSEI!" Boulders began to fly into the air, dragging the chakra absorber with it. The rocks all hit the young man who screamed in pain and terror. All of a sudden, the rocks flew into the ground, Nagato's prey falling with it in a bloody heap, but still alive.

Nagato lifted his hand. "For those who have not felt true pain… Shinra Tensei…" The Nagato's victim flew into a tree which exploded on contact. Splinters flew everywhere and the severed head of the chakra absorber landed in front of him. "… can never find true peace…" He brought his foot down on the head, cracking the skull with a crunch. Brains squelched under his foot and he smiled slightly to himself. "… Criminals deserve to die…" (Author: NO THEY DON'T! *Kira much?*)

_Meanwhile…_

Sasuke hurtled through the forest with Naruto on his back, ignoring the pain in his chest from the burns. Hearing Naruto gasping for breath only made him run faster. He came to a stop in a clearing in the woods where Konan and the others were working on freeing the prisoners.

"Konan…!" Sasuke gasped, out of breath. She turned around to see both boys bleeding and injured. Quickly removing Sumaru's seal, she ran over to Naruto and Sasuke. She pulled Naruto off his shoulder and checked his pulse and temperature. Then her hand, which was on top of his head, began to glow a soft, greenish colour, checking the inside of his head for trauma.

"Hmm… Seems to be heavy pressure in his skull… We have to get him back as soon as we free the last prisoners… There's danger of a minor subdural haematoma… Most likely caused by a heavy blow to the head…" she muttered.

"Well, hurry up and free them then! We have the scroll ready! We can go back any time!"

"Just go and find the Leader…" Konan placed a cold hand on Naruto's forehead, causing him to shudder slightly. Sasuke ran off with one last look around the rows of prisoners, seeing how many were left…

_Meanwhile…_

Nagato ran into Sasuke (quite literally) as he ran through the forest. The two bonked heads and fell backwards, cursing loudly.

"Watch where you're going!" they both yelled before Sasuke realised who he was addressing and began to apologise frantically. Nagato silenced him.

"Quiet!" Sasuke shut up. "Where is Naruto?"

"With Konan, sir!"

"And is he alright?"

"I'm not sure, sir! Konan began to use medical speak!"

"… I can understand medical speak. I watch ER. What did she say?" he asked.

"I don't know! It sounded like something from House! I can't get a word that man says!" he whined. Nagato sighed and ran past him. Sasuke followed at a close distance, being careful not to get in the way.

_Later…_

Nagato lifted Naruto's head into his arms and sighed in sorrow. Naruto lay limp and silent in his arms. Konan approached them after removing the last seal.

"We're done here… We have to return quickly. When we do there's something I'd like to… discuss with you…" she said sadly, wording her phrases very carefully. Sasuke unfurled the scroll and everyone walked over to the group, leaving the now freed slaves behind to make their own way home. And so, they left…

Upon reaching the hideout, Naruto was put in a bed with the rest of the Akatsuki surrounding him and the real Pain arrived; the Deva path left. The Akatsuki members – bar Pain – were asked to leave as well. Konan then got down to telling Pain about Naruto's condition.

"Listen, dear… Naruto is in an extremely bad condition… I want you to think about the next step _very_ carefully… Understand…?" she asked. Pain nodded.

"What's wrong with him?" Pain asked warily.

"… He has a minor subdural haematoma…" she began.

"What's that?" Pain asked, slightly wishing that the answer would remain a secret.

"His brain is haemorrhaging… Badly… If he makes it out of this, he'll suffer unbelievable trauma of from the incident… He'll probably be a nervous wreck… And it's likely that he'll suffer severe concussion, temporary - if not permanent – memory loss and there's a large possibility of brain damage… The treatment isn't simple… It involves me…" She paused but finally decided to continue. "It involves me drilling into his skull to remove the blood and stop the bleeding… I could hit his brain and kill him instantly before the blood compresses his brain, killing him… Either way is dangerous and the morality rate is high, seizures will be common and even if the operation is a success, he may never wake up again… Please consider the consequences…" She paused again and looked away. "What would he want…?"

Pain felt like he had just got the wind knocked out of him. He sat down on a chair, his eyes wide with shock.

"… He'll be fine for about a week… I'll leave you to decide…" She placed a loving hand on his shoulder and opened her mouth again to say something else but quickly decided against it and left.

When she was gone, tears began to roll down Nagato's face in steady streams. "Oh, Naruto… What did you do to deserve this…?" he whispered. Sobs shook him and he raised his eyes to look at Naruto's pale face. He got up and walked over to him with shaky steps. He sat down heavily on the bed and put a shaky hand on top of Naruto's head. Another bout of sobs wracked his body and got down on the floor on his knees. And for the first time in years… he prayed… He prayed with all of his strength, hoping for a sign that his nephew would be alright… but he got nothing… He only hoped that the real God had heard him…

He got up and reluctantly left the room to find Konan… He had to tell her something…

The Akatsuki sat on the sofa's around the T.V. The younger members - like Deidara, Sasuke and Umeko – stared blankly into the distance at nothing. The older members fidgeted silently in their seats. Konan had explained the circumstances. All they could do now was wait for the Leader's response. The ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound that dared to pierce the dense silence that surrounded the Akatsuki. Time no longer had any meaning. The world was dull.

'_Naruto just HAS to be__ OK…'_ was the only thought that ran through their minds at the time. Their silence was broken by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Nagato entered, red-eyed. His tears were gone but his voice was shaky.

"Konan… I've come to a decision…" Nagato muttered. "Do it… Save him…" Konan nodded in understanding and got up to begin.

Nagato sunk wordlessly into his seat. He let out a long, sad sigh and leaned against the back of his seat, closing his eyes. This was it. Now, like the rest of the Akatsuki members, they could only wait. About 10 minutes later, he tensed as he heard the faint sound of a drill being started at the other end of the hideout…

_Later…_

Konan walked in about an hour later and sighed. Nagato stood up, hoping that she wasn't coming with bad news. Then she smiled wearily.

"His life isn't in danger anymore… But let's just hope he recovers…" she muttered. Pain breathed a sigh of relief. "You can go and see him now."

Nagato pushed past her and walked at a brisk pace down the hall. He hesitated at Naruto's door, wondering whether he should go in or not. He eventually sighed and quietly opened the door.

Well, he wasn't as pale as he was before, but he still looked pretty bad. He'd obviously been healed, both by Konan and the Kyuubi. Nagato silently thanked them both and sat down beside Naruto. His chest was bandaged up and had obviously been healed. Of course, his ribs were still broken but they could easily regrow if he stayed still for a while. And the toads had taught him well. There was no doubt that he could sit perfectly still. SURE he hated hospitals and infirmaries but he'd just have to deal with it if he didn't want a punctured lung. Nagato chuckled slightly as he pictured his whining.

Konan walked in as Nagato sat there, thinking over all that had happened.

"Immediately after I finished, the Kyuubi regrew the bone in his skull. It was quite amazing," she said, gaining her fiancée's attention. He turned around and sighed.

"Konan… Thank you…"

"Hey, he's going to be my nephew too. I love him just as much as you do," she smiled.

"But… even so… Thank you…" Nagato turned back to Naruto and began to stroke the top of his head. Konan turned and left the room, leaving Nagato and Naruto alone…

_4 weeks later…_

Nagato slept in the chair at Naruto's bedside. Honestly, he wasn't surprised he was taking this long to wake up but that didn't mean that he didn't wish that he'd hurry up. Quite the contrary.

He visited Naruto every day. Today, he didn't come until late in the evening. Deidara was training Umeko and blew a wall up. Therefore, for the 29th time this year (and it was only April), he had to be taken through the safety code and what not to do (but, he always managed to do it anyway).

And now, he was tired. No point in being tired. His hand was lightly around Naruto's hand. If Naruto woke up, he would know. He was a light sleeper.

Nagato was woken up as he felt Naruto's hand twitch. His eyes snapped open and he stood up. He bent over Naruto has his nephew's eyes slowly flickered open. Nagato smiled.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. "We were all worried about you…"

Naruto blinked a few times to clear away the blurriness so he could see. Nagato looked a little worried as he was met by a look of confusion.

"It's alright. You're safe now," he assured. Naruto sat up and looked up at his uncle. "Are you alright?" Nagato asked again. Naruto rubbed his head and looked away. He looked back again.

"I'm sorry but… who are you?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused. Nagato frowned slightly, then laughed.

"Don't joke around…" Nagato chuckled.

"I'm not joking… Who are you?" Nagato stopped laughing as Naruto looked down at his hands. "… In fact… who am I…?" he asked in disbelief. Nagato sat down beside him.

"You don't know who you are?" he asked seriously. Naruto looked back up and shook his head. "… Wait here for a moment…" Nagato got up and opened the door slightly. Konan, who was walking by, was stopped when Nagato stood in her path.

"Konan, we have a problem…" Nagato said in a shaky tone.

"What's the matter?" she asked curiously.

"Well… I have good news and bad news… The good news is that Naruto has woken up. The bad news is that he doesn't remember who he is. Care to explain?" Nagato asked accusingly.

"Well, Nagato, I warned you before I gave him the operation. I told you that he could suffer from temporary or permanent memory loss. I just hope it's not the latter…" she said sadly.

"It's not… I know it isn't… It can't be…" Nagato whispered.

"… Let's just all be thankful that he's alive…" Konan stated, looking at the floor.

She and Nagato walked into Naruto's room. Naruto sat in his bed patiently waiting for Nagato to come back.

"Is everything alright?" he asked Nagato innocently.

"Yes…" Nagato smiled. "I just needed to find Konan so we could get you checked over…" Naruto seemed to accept the answer.

Konan sat on the bed beside Naruto and shone a light in his eyes to check if his pupils were dilating properly.

"So, how do you feel?" she asked.

"Fine…" he responded. "A little confused, but fine…"

"Good. Not feeling sick? Dizzy? Tired?" Naruto shook his head. Konan smiled. "Very good. Now, I'll just listen to your heart for a few seconds. She put the cold stethoscope to Naruto's already bare flesh, making him shudder slightly.

She pulled it back and smiled. "Nothing seems out of the ordinary… I suppose we'll just have to wait for your memories to come back."

Naruto nodded and decided to lie back down. Nagato smiled at him as Konan left.

"I suppose I had best let you rest then," he stated. He turned to leave but was stopped when Naruto sat straight up and called to him.

"Wait a second!" he said in a hurry. Nagato paused and turned around.

"Yes?"

"… Who am I? You never even told me my name, let alone who you were or where we are for that matter!" Naruto exclaimed. Nagato chuckled.

"Ah, I'm an idiot, am I not? Well… Where to start…" He paused. "Well, first of all, your name is Naruto Uzumaki. I am your uncle, Nagato Uzumaki. This is the Akatsuki HQ building. It's where we live, near the Land of Rivers," he explained.

"What's Akatsuki?" asked Naruto.

"An organisation that is dedicated to achieving world peace by becoming allies with the Elemental Nations for they cannot attack each other if we are allied because then all other Nations will wage war on them in the event that an attack should happen. Do you remember what the Elemental Nations are?" he asked sceptically. Naruto nodded. "Do you remember that you are a ninja?" Naruto shook his head. "Then we'll have to re-educate you when you are discharged from the infirmary."

Naruto sighed and put his head down on the pillow, falling asleep almost immediately through no fault of his own. Kyuubi needed him…

_In Naruto's mind…_

Naruto opened his eyes to stare into the great red eyes of the Kyuubi. "Why can I remember everything here, Kyuubi?" Naruto asked in confusion as his memories flooded back to him.

"**These are the darkest recesses of your mind, kit. This is where all of your memor****ies are kept,"** the fox explained.

"Will I remember when I leave?" he asked.

"**No. Your memories have been temporarily locked away. I can try my best to unlock them for you. The only thing you will remember from this is this conversation and possibly the**** fact that you are my Jinchuuriki,"** he stated. Naruto sighed in annoyance.

"It's always me, isn't it…" he complained.

"**You always jump in the way of attacks you can't possibly take. Stop being such a damn martyr!" **he bellowed.

"I'll be a martyr if I feel like it…"

"**You forget that if you die, I die and I can't let ****you kill us **_**both**_**. I'm going to work on your memories of jutsu first. And I'm immediately going to implant a new one in your memories. It should help in certain situations and prevent my cloak f****rom appearing, not to mention that you won't lose control of yourself in battle…"** it trailed off.

"So, what's the name of the jutsu?" he asked.

"**You'll find out when you wake up. Now, go. Your uncle is out there and he's worried about you."**

"How do you know?" he asked.

"**Time passes quickly when the Jinchuuriki is injured or sick. What seemed like a few minutes in here has, in reality been 3 days."**

"Crap! How do I explain it! Or my new technique! He doesn't know I can talk to you! Only Sasuke does and he swore to keep it a secret! Knowing my uncle, he'd say you were dangerous and I could never speak to you again!" Naruto panicked.

"**No sweat, kit. Just tell him you were having a dream 'where a giant fox was attacking some village.' He'll buy that. ****The only problem is that you'll have to listen to him explain that you're a Jinchuuriki and that'll be pretty boring,"** the Kyuubi growled in annoyance.

"But what about my new jutsu?" he asked.

"**It'll be a while before he'll let you do anything. I'll th****ink of something by then. Now, hurry up, before he cries again!" **he bellowed. Naruto winced at the sound of Kyuubi's loud voice.

"Jeez… Alright! Alright!" he yelled.

_In the base…_

Naruto winced slightly as the bright light flooding into the infirmary through the windows temporarily blinded him. For a second, he was confused, but then his memories of Kyuubi came flooding back to him.

He slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" he heard a voice beside him. He turned his head and smiled.

"A little…" he told the man who sat beside him. "You're… my uncle… right?" he asked, verifying it. Nagato nodded.

"You've been asleep for about 3 days…" he stated.

"Have I? I'm sorry if I worried you… I was having this really weird dream… There was this giant fox… and it was destroying some kind of village…" he explained, remembering what Kyuubi had told him to say.

Nagato sighed. "I hoped you wouldn't remember…"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, pretending to be completely oblivious. And thus, he zoned out of the conversation as Nagato solemnly began to explain his situation.

As he finished, he pretended to look shocked and did the only thing a Jinchuuriki would do when he/she was told about the creature in their stomach.

"… So… does that make me… a monster…?" he said sadly, looking down his hands which were resting on the bedclothes.

"No! Don't EVER think like that!" Nagato exclaimed.

"… What does it make me then…?"

"A human being!"

"… But, not a normal one like you…" he sighed.

"You are as normal as the rest of us, Naruto…" he stated, clearly believing what Naruto was saying.

Naruto turned his head away and refused to speak.

"Naruto…" Nagato muttered. He pulled Naruto into a hug.

"I barely know you yet… Please don't hug me until I feel ready to accept a new life…" Naruto mumbled. Nagato let him go and solemnly left him alone.

The door shut and Naruto smirked.

'Got him… Your plan worked,' he thought, smiling. Kyuubi's faint voice drifted into his mind.

"**Pretty simple. He's completely human and simple to trick,"** he growled.

'… Kyuubi… How hard will it be for you to get my memories back…?' he asked hesitantly.

"**I won't lie to you, kit… It may take a while… But there **_**is**_** a way to help me…"** he mused.

'How? How can I help?' Naruto asked.

"… **Well… A**** strong memory can accelerate the process. In other words, if you find someone or something that means enough to you, your memories of them will come back. You saw me face to ****face in a place where you could remember everything. That's how I was able to unlock the memories of myself,"** he explained.

'Well! That seems simple!' Naruto exclaimed. '… Wait… How do I find out who means a lot to me if I can't even remember anyone?' he frowned.

"… **Maybe it's someone from the Akatsuki? There's a man here who used to work with you. You've been rivals since you were children,"** Kyuubi stated.

'… I suppose it's worth a shot… I had better wait until someone comes for me, though. They wouldn't want me leaving on my own, even if you were giving me directions.'

"**Yea. You'd get in trouble with your uncle and it'd take even longer to get out of here…"** he said.

Naruto laughed softly and decided to lie back down on the bed and wait. He sighed.

"… Kyuubi…?" he inquired aloud.

"**What is it, kit?"** Kyuubi responded.

"… You're the only one I know… and the only one I can trust… Can I rely on you to keep the people I love safe while I can't…?" Naruto asked sheepishly. He could almost hear the Kyuubi' soft smile in his voice.

"… **Always, kit… You can always rely on me…"**

"Thank you, old friend…" Naruto said happily before falling into a deep sleep. Kyuubi smiled.

"**Sleep well… You deserve it…"**


	26. Rememberance

Chapter 26: Rememberance

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: … Where are they?_

_In other room…_

_Me: *ticking off items on clipboard* Cake?_

_Nagato: Check._

_Me: Decorations?_

_Konan: Check._

_Me: Food?_

_Umeko: Check!_

_Me: Uh-huh… *turns around and see's audience* Oh! Hi guys! Just getting ready! It's October 10__th__ and Naruto IS the main character after all! Enjoy the story while we get ready!_

_Konan: And don't tell Naruto!_

_Me: Right! Please enjoy the story! *yells at Kakuzu* Roll the video!_

_Kakuzu: Alright, but it'll cost ya… *rolls the video*_

_NARUTO_

Naruto sat down on his bed. He had been reintroduced to the Akatsuki members – bar Sasuke but Naruto didn't know that he was on a mission right now – and assumed that he had met everyone.

'Was that everyone Kyuubi?' he asked the fox.

"**No. One of them isn't here. He's the one I was talking about. I heard some of them talking. He'll be back later,"** the fox explained.

'So, why should he mean so much to me?' Naruto inquired.

"**Well, he's been your rival since you were in the Hidden Leaf Village. He was on the same team as you. Team 7. Not only have you known him the longest, but when his big brother - whom you had always thought of as like your own big brother – passed away, he made you promise that you would always protect him in his stead. He is an Uchiha,"** stated the fox. Naruto thought for a minute.

'Uchiha… Why does that name sound so familiar…?' He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at the name "Uchiha". It was his fox side. Deep down, he knew that the Uchiha's could control the Demon Fox, Kyuubi, but he couldn't remember exactly why the name made him feel so uncomfortable right now.

"… **Maybe the Uchiha **_**could**_** work…"** the fox mused to itself. He was silent as the door opened. It was Deidara, to whom he had become quite used to over the past few days. He and Sasori had spent quite a lot of time together while they showed him around the base again. He had been getting along rather well with both of them.

"Naruto, the last member of Akatsuki is here. Would you like to come and meet him?" Deidara asked.

"Sure…" Naruto sighed, ready to see if it would work. He stood up and went with Deidara, simply following him wherever he went like a lamb.

"He's been informed of your… situation… and is ready to do whatever he can to help you, you know," said Deidara with a stern look on his face.

Naruto looked unsure and continued to follow Deidara. The name "Uchiha" was still stuck in his mind although he didn't know why.

Deidara opened the door into their living room and Naruto hesitantly followed him inside. He knew that the grand majority of the Akatsuki would be in there and didn't like all those eyes on him. And he disliked their looks of pity even more.

They entered the room with Naruto slightly hiding behind Deidara as he felt all the eyes boring into his skull. He shrugged it off and ignored them.

He saw a pale, raven-haired man standing with his uncle that he didn't recognise. But the man obviously recognised _him_.

Nagato was the first to speak. "Naruto, this is Sasuke Uchiha," Nagato introduced him.

'Uchiha… So _that's_ him… He seems familiar… But… I can't remember…' he thought, his face showing no indication of what he was thinking. The next thing Naruto knew, Sasuke was standing in front of him with his hand out, waiting for him to shake it. Naruto took it and weakly shook it.

Sasuke stood back and looked at the floor awkwardly. Naruto did the same, although he was secretly speaking with Kyuubi.

'Kyuubi… He's so familiar…' he thought.

"**He should be… Remember anything?"**

'… No… I don't… But… I think I know him… Could it be the promise you said I made?'

"… **It might be…"**

_Later…_

Naruto sat outside the base by the river, staring down at his reflection. He noticed dark rings under his eyes from the times that he had sat up all night, worrying about whether he would get his memories back or not.

He rubbed his eyes, closing them for a few seconds. When he opened them, he saw another reflection beside his own. He turned his head.

"Hello… Sasuke, right?" he verified.

"Yes… Mind if I sit down?" he asked.

"Not at all…" Naruto said in monotone, looking back at his reflection. Sasuke sat wordlessly beside him. No one spoke for a few minutes.

"… Has anything come back?" Sasuke asked.

"… Not quite… But something's bothering me…" Naruto responded.

"Like what?" Sasuke inquired.

"… You seem… really familiar to me… Why is that…?" Naruto asked. He had to be obscure about what Kyuubi had told him. No one could be told.

And, so, Sasuke launched into the explanation of how he knew Naruto from the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto simply looked back at the river. Then Sasuke found a simpler way to explain things.

"Wait here for a moment…" Sasuke said before getting up and running into the base.

A few minutes later, Sasuke came back with something in his hand. He sat down beside Naruto again and showed it to him. It was a picture of just Sasuke and himself as children in Konoha.

"This was us when we were kids. We had been in the team for a few months and had become friends," Sasuke explained.

Naruto looked down at the picture, sadness evident on his face at the fact that he couldn't remember this. In the picture, Naruto and Sasuke had their arms around each other's shoulders, each boy smiling happily.

"We were 12 years old. It was 8 years ago." Then, it was almost as if a light went off in Naruto's head.

"… I… I remember this…" Naruto gasped, eyes widening in shock.

"Really? Are you serious?"

"Yea! I remember this! We'd just come back from training and I had just insisted on ramen when our sensei came along with the camera," Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke laughed. "Yea. And then Sakura insisted on ice cream afterwards," Sasuke laughed.

"And then I pissed you off and you shoved ice cream in my face." The two men were silent for a few seconds… and then they burst out laughing.

Nagato came out to see what the commotion was all about only to see the two men rolling around on the ground in fits of laughter.

"What's going on out here?" he asked.

"N… Naruto…" Sasuke began through fits of laughter, "j-just remembered Konoha… and…" he turned to Naruto, "remember Lee…"

"Getting drunk!" Naruto finished.

"And the unicorn!" Sasuke added. Nagato smiled and walked back inside.

"And Sakura was all like "Get him away from me!""

"And Ino laughed and ran off!"

"And Neji tried speaking with a Scottish accent!" They laughed again.

"Ah… Those were the days…" Sasuke sighed.

"Yea… We're old, aren't we?"

"… Suppose so… Well… I can't be sitting around here. I have to ask Konan about something," Sasuke stated, standing up.

"Ok. See ya later!" Naruto waved as he walked away.

_Later…_

Sasuke walked up to Konan who was just locking the door to her room (because Tobi had a tendency to be in everyone's rooms nowadays, causing mischief and generally annoying everyone with his shenanigans and tomfoolery).

"Konan…" he said, getting her attention. She turned around and smiled.

"Oh! Hello Sasuke!" she smiled. "Nagato just told me what happened!"

"Konan… I want you to make the transplant… I'm ready…" Sasuke said in monotone.

"… Why now…?" she inquired softly.

"… Because if I'm weak… how can I protect my friends…? … I need Itachi's eyes… It's what he wanted…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: … *jumps out from behind rock* Surprise!_

_Naruto: … You threw a party?_

_Me: Yea… I figured I had tortured you enough recently… and this was the way to say sorry…_

_Naruto: *crying*_

_Me: … But cry and I'll run you through a mangle._

_Naruto: *stops crying*_

_Me: Ok! Sorry the chapter is so short, but… while we eat cake, you guys get busy and R&R!_


	27. A Halloween Tale

Chapter 27: A Halloween Tale

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Me: And here…_

_Naruto: We shall tell a story…_

_Sasuke: About a past mission…_

_Kakashi: In Konoha…_

_Sakura: To the children of the village!_

_Me: Note that this will not be expertly written with a lot of details as I will be doing it from different points of views as if a story was being told. So, please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto entered the village near their base on Halloween night, the rest of the Akatsuki following him. Just as he walked through the gate, the children of the village began to run over to them. And, of course, Naruto had remembered the kiddies the moment he saw them 1 week ago. Naruto smiled as they ran over to him.

"Hey, kits!" he chuckled as they all crowded around him.

"Naruto! Tell us one of your stories! They're really fun!" one of them begged. The next thing he knew, all of the children were asking for one too. Naruto's eyes flickered upwards, looking at the sky for a second, looking for something but not wanting to let the kids know. He slightly elbowed Sasuke who did the same. However, none of the others noticed. Both of them smiled.

"… Yea… I suppose we have time…" Naruto smiled. The kids cheered as Naruto and Sasuke walked over to one of the benches and sat down. The others decided to watch and sat down beside the children on the ground.

"Okay…" Sasuke began. "Well… this one is from our days on Team 7 back in Konoha-" Sasuke was cut off by a voice.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" yelled an exited female voice. They turned and saw a familiar pink-haired friend, a tall, white-haired man and their old silver-haired Jōnin sensei.

"Hey Sakura. Kakashi. Jiraiya," Naruto smiled. "Kids, these guys are our old teammates that I told you about before. Sakura and Kakashi. And this is my godfather, Jiraiya," Naruto announced. "We're telling them 'the story'," he chuckled.

"Which story was that?" Sakura asked with curiosity. Naruto and Sasuke gestured to look up but not be seen. "Oh! That story! I love that one!" she squealed.

"Yea. That one. Wanna stay?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't see why not. We've finished our mission, anyway," Kakashi confirmed.

"Yay!" she squealed and all of them stood beside the Akatsuki who were waiting for them to begin.

"Now… what was I saying…?" Sasuke mused. "Ah! Yes! As I was saying, this is a story from when we were still in Konoha… Who was the Hokage at that time?" Sasuke wondered.

"I think it was still Grandpa Sarutobi," Naruto grinned. "Anyway, he'd just sent us on a mission to an area in the Land of Iron. I think it was called… Yomi Mountain…" A surprised gasp came from the kids and from the Akatsuki members who hadn't heard the story either.

"Don't people say that place is supposed to be… haunted…?" Deidara gulped.

"And with good reason…" Sasuke nodded. "Anyway, it took us a few days to get there."

_(Sasuke's POV)_

_The mountain was pretty dark when we got there. We'd been given a scroll on what we were to do. Naruto was holding it at that point. So I asked, "Naruto, what is it we're supposed to be doing?" We watched as Naruto lifted out the scroll and opened it up._

"_Well, it says here that some ninja from our village came around here on a mission. A sensor ninja was amongst them. He sensed large, ominous energy waves coming from the mountain and informed the Hokage. They climbed the mountain and claimed to have seen… ghosts… We've been sent to investigate," he explained. He was actually terrified of ghosts at the time so-_

_(Normal POV)_

"I was NOT terrified of ghosts!" Naruto complained.

"Yes, you were!" his teammates retorted. The Akatsuki began to laugh. Naruto sighed and let Sasuke continue.

_(Sasuke's POV)_

_As I was saying, Naruto was terrified of ghosts. So, this mission was obviously going to be harder than usual._

_(Normal POV)_

Naruto pouted and began to speak over Sasuke.

_(Naruto's POV)_

_When we went further up the mountain, we began to notice that it was getting warmer. The snow began to melt on the way up. And usually, the mountain was covered in snow, from what we heard._

_I can clearly remember turning to Kakashi and asking, "Why is it so warm up here?" He didn't know, nor did the others. All we could do was keep walking and hope we found what we were looking for._

_We had been walking for nearly an hour – it was a tall mountain – and it was getting even warmer the further we got up. We were getting tired so we rested in a rather… conveniently placed cave, actually._

_(Normal POV)_

"A lot of caves are conveniently placed nowadays…" Sakura mused.

"Yes, I've noticed that!" Nagato exclaimed before getting into a conversation about conveniently placed caves with the young kunoichi.

"Silence, please…" Sasuke sighed. They quickly quietened down to hear the rest of the story.

_(Naruto's POV)_

_I was lying against the cave wall when Kakashi walked over to me. He looked quite serious, and apparently, so did I._

_I asked, "Do you feel like something's off?" By that time, I was a bit more in touch with my Kyuubi half. So I said yes. And I asked him if he felt it. "No, but I knew you would. You're in touch with things like these," he said. So I accepted that._

_(Sasuke's POV)_

_After about an hour, we headed out of the cave and began to head back up the mountain. Kakashi was talking to Naruto about something we couldn't hear until I slowed down and listened to what they were saying because I was curious as to what they were saying in case it was beneficial to the mission and for the fact that they were keeping it from the rest of us. When I heard what they were saying, I didn't hear much. But I did become intrigued. For, you see, I heard Kakashi ask Naruto if anything felt different. Naruto was saying-_

"_The air feels really heavy. There's something wrong here. It's as if nature is out of balance." It sort of freaked me out as to how he could know this at first. But then I remembered back to when we fought Haku in the Land of Waves._

_(Normal POV)_

Naruto looked at him in shock.

"You were awake?" he exclaimed.

"Yes. I saw it all. And once more in the Valley of the End… It scared me…" Sasuke trailed off and Naruto took up the story again after a few seconds.

_(Naruto's POV)_

_Yes. Like Sasuke said, it felt like nature was out of balance. And it was. And my suspicions were confirmed when we were attacked by a group of bears. We managed to beat them back easily enough but when we beat them, I suddenly got the feeling that something was out of place._

_Just as the others were about to move on, I went and examined one of the bears. Having an extensive knowledge of animals, I discovered that this particular species of bear was normally docile._

_I called them back before quickly checking the area and telling them, "These are brown bears. They normally alter their habitat just to avoid humans. They would normally defend a carcass by attacking but there doesn't seem to be any. There is also no sign that this is their territory. Not only that, but it's not mating season either. There's no reason that they should be attacking us. Something's wrong."_

_Kakashi immediately took it into perspective. He took into account that I, being in touch with my animal side, could sense something was wrong and that bears that normally wouldn't attack, actually did. He asked me if they were summon animals, which they weren't. That was when I felt the air become much, much heavier. There was something there and it was getting dark. I spun around and looked into the woods. There was something moving, but wherever it went, even if it went into a bush, nothing moved._

_I looked up at the sky, feeling like something was wrong. But, nothing was there._

_Kakashi immediately took is as an attack. None of the others had seen what I had seen. They were looking in the same direction, but they didn't see it. And that scared me. A lot._

_As the others set up camp near the area, I kept watch. Sooner or later, they finished and Sasuke came to sit beside me. He asked me, "What did you mean when you said that nature was out of balance?"_

_I was a little annoyed that he was eavesdropping…_

_(Normal POV)_

"… But then I thought, 'Oh well! This is Sasuke for you! He's nosier than Ino', right Sakura?" he chuckled. Sakura giggled and Kakashi burst out laughing.

Naruto got clubbed over the head with the back of Sasuke's sword.

"OW!" he complained.

"Hmph… Serves you right…" he stated in annoyance before muttering, "Comparing me to Ino… hmph…" under his breath.

_(Sasuke's POV)_

_So, I asked him, "What did you mean when you said that nature was out of balance?"_

_He stared at me for a few seconds before looking back out into the wilderness, seemingly looking for something. Or maybe his eye was on something. I don't know… and he doesn't seem about ready to answer it right now…_

_But, anyway, he stared out into the distance… and lied to me. "It's kind of like… a… Kekkei Genkai…" It satisfied me for a few seconds before it hit me and I asked him-_

"_You have a Kekkei Genkai…? Which one is it?" He started stammering._

"… _Well… It's a secret… I can't actually tell you because it's rare…" And… I believed him… sadly…_

_So I asked, "Well… can you at least tell me why nature is 'out of balance' then?" He paused._

"_It's just that it feels like everything that feels natural has been turned upside down… It doesn't feel the same anymore…" he responded to me. I was confused so I said that it didn't make any sense. So, he attempted to explain._

_He said, "Think of it this way. Every living thing has its own wavelength. In other words, they emit vibrations. Each has its own wavelength. When those wavelengths meet a powerful force, they rebound and are increased and amplified as forces powerful enough to disturb natural vibrations have a thin but constant veil of chakra around them which resonates with the vibrations before bouncing them back, twice as powerful as before. It also happens with non-living things like rocks as they don't have any signatures of their own. The solid surface makes them rebound. But, amplified vibrations give the air a heavy feel to it. It normally happens around demons. That's why we need to be careful. I think we may be walking into something that we can't handle."_

_So, I tried to contemplate what he had said. It didn't really make a lot of sense how these 'vibrations' could be strengthened by merely coming into contact with something powerful. Then, he stood up and informed me that he was going to speak to Kakashi, no doubt, I thought, to tell him more about what his supposed "Kekkei Genkai" had picked up._

_I heard him telling the exact same thing that he had told me, although he didn't let Sakura hear._

_(Normal POV)_

"Wait…" Sakura began. "I was never told about this! Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto was the one to answer.

"Sasuke had already caught onto me and would have had to have been told. He had known too much already. I had to wait for the all-clear from Kakashi before I could tell you," he explained. Sakura paused before motioning for him to go on. Before he did, he noticed that they had attracted a crowd.

Sasuke noticed Tsubaki in the audience and waved. She smiled and waved back before Naruto started telling the story again.

_(Naruto's POV)_

_So, after I shook Sasuke off my trail and scared Kakashi beyond belief, I retired to the tent to leave Sasuke to stay on watch._

_I knew I probably should have stayed on watch myself, because I seemed to be the only one that could see our assailant, if you could call her that-_

_(Normal POV)_

"Wait… _her?_" questioned Hidan.

"Yes. Her," Naruto responded. "We found that out the next evening…"

_(Naruto's POV)_

… _We were setting up camp when I almost felt __something cold drifting past us. The others just took it for a cold breeze. But, as I said, nature was out of balance up there. It was warm. There __was__ no cold breeze._

_I alerted Kakashi to the problem, but he quickly dismissed it as my imagination. And I had started to believe him. But then I felt it again. And it was above us. I quickly looked up, but there was nothing there. I decided to look at the surrounding area._

_So, I told them I was going to the toilet. I left to go and look at the woods. I walked around for a few minutes before feeling something behind me._

_I spun around and saw a young woman behind me. She looked to be about 20 years of age, but, there was something different about her. She was pale and floated in mid-air. Anything below her waist seemed to have been hacked off and strips of flesh hung down, dripping blood that disappeared when it hit the ground. She had white hair and ghostly blue eyes._

"_I'm glad I finally got you alone…" she said to me. Her voice echoed, bouncing off the trees and I knew immediately that she was the source of our troubles. "You sensed that I was here… Not many people can do that… Will you help me…?" she asked, completely taking me by surprise._

_So I said, "Whoa! Wait a minute! First of all, who are you? Secondly, are you the one disturbing the mountain?" She smiled._

"_Oh!" she said. "I'm sorry! I'm being rude! My name is Mikki. I was just recently torn apart by brown bears. But, no matter how many people die on this mountain, I seem to be the only one to have come back. And what's worse is the fact that I can't leave the mountain! There's a barrier around the mountain and I can't leave! It's making the mountain's climate rise… It's awfully lonely… And I can only leave if I overshadow someone. I've figured out that only living things can leave…" she explained to me._

"_Wait," I asked. "Who's controlling the barrier?" She looked thoughtful for a second._

"… _I don't know… But, I think they must be at the summit… But I think it would be very warm up there… But I'm not sure about warmth. I can't exactly feel it. Only see it," she explained._

_So, I took her word for it, and brought her back to Kakashi… who fainted…_

_(Normal POV)_

"Well, don't tell them!" Kakashi protested. Naruto ignored him.

_(Naruto's POV)_

_So, we sat down around the fire...Well… in Mikki's case, she floated. We discussed the force field with each other. We'd explain it to Kakashi later, we decided._

_I kept a close eye on Mikki while the others chatted with her, mulling over what she had said._

_I had my suspicions about her. Waves were bouncing off her and I couldn't understand why. With spirits, I knew that they would normally pass through. Maybe she WAS the one that was disturbing the environment. No barrier on Earth could ever do it. I knew that much._

_You see, a barrier normally doesn't amplify waves. It normally just bounces them back. The chakra isn't demonic. Therefore, it wouldn't amplify._

_I found that I wasn't actually afraid of the ghost in front of me. In fact, I found myself thinking about her predicament…_

_And more importantly, what could happen if she left the mountain. I f she did, the same thing could have happened._

_Or, maybe she was brought back by someone and had a veil of chakra put around her that we could reverse._

_So, after Kakashi woke up and heard her side of the story, I dragged him off and explained it to him._

_He was a little amazed about how much I knew about barriers, because, at that time, I was literally a drop-out._

_I left him to think about that and, Sasuke, as nosey as he is, came and asked me what we were talking about. I said nothing so he started to pester me._

_I walked away and he began to follow me. Then he began to poke me. So, I turned and walked back in Kakashi's direction, knowing that he would remove Sasuke from my personal space. And, sure enough, he did, under comical circumstances. I was happy._

_I headed back to the camp, where I met Sakura who was having a conversation with Mikki. Mikki seemed to be enjoying the company but I still couldn't trust her completely._

_Sakura and Mikki looked at me as I approached them._

"_Oh, hi Naruto!" Sakura giggled at me. Mikki just laughed. I said hi. Sakura began to tell me how she and Mikki had just become friends._

_I smiled and walked on, back to the edge of the large clearing we were in to keep watch._

_While I sat there, Mikki came up to me. She asked me if I was alright. I said yes. She paused. She asked me if I trusted her. This time, I paused before coming out with my honest opinion. I said that I didn't know._

_She looked at me, seemingly confused. "Why wouldn't you trust me?" she asked me._

"_Because you're the one rebounding the wavelengths. I can feel it," I responded._

_She left it at that. The next day, we reached the edge of the barrier. We discussed who to let Mikki overshadow. Eventually, Sakura volunteered because Kakashi and I suspected something and Sasuke knew that we knew something._

_Mikki stood behind Sakura and walked into her, disappearing as she walked into her. I can remember Sakura's eyes turning blue before she walked out of the barrier. The moment she did, I felt the barrier dissipate. I then knew that Mikki was lying. The mountain had created a barrier to keep her in for a reason. No one was controlling it. And we let her out._

_(Sasuke's POV)_

_I remember staring at Naruto as he filled his hands with red, demonic-feeling chakra before running at Mikki in Sakura's body._

_Mikki dodged him before using Sakura's strength against him. Naruto ducked and yelled at Kakashi to restrain her. We all stared at him._

_Kakashi yelled at him, "What are you doing?" Naruto looked us in the eyes._

"_She tricked us! The barrier dissipated when she left! The mountain was keeping her from doing damage! Why do you think it's called Yomi (A.N. – underworld) Mountain? Evil souls that die on it can never leave!" he yelled. "She's not giving Sakura back! Now, hold her! I'll use chakra to draw her out!"_

_We immediately got to work Naruto jumped back while we restrained Sakura. Naruto's hands charged with demonic chakra. He grabbed Sakura around the neck and pulled Mikki out of her. Mikki was solid in his hands. He charged his other hand further, ready to send her to the afterlife for good._

_We let Sakura – who had fainted – go just in time to see Mikki begin to cry. She began to plead, saying that she didn't want to hurt anyone._

_Naruto's hand became a calming blue colour and a light spread around both of them. Naruto's hand went straight through her neck. She floated in mid-air for a few seconds before asking what happened. He began to whisper something into her ear. She smiled and began to fly off._

_Afterwards, we asked Naruto what he had done, but he wouldn't tell us._

_(Normal POV)_

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked.

"I used Kyuubi's chakra to remove all malevolent thoughts from her spirit. She doesn't remember much of what she had done. I told her to leave and that she was safe. The problem was, I obtained some of those thoughts. That's why I laugh when I kill," Naruto explained.

Hidan spoke up. "You can't expect us to actually believe this $&%#, do you?" Konan slapped Hidan for swearing in front of the kids.

"You can believe it if you want. But, you never know. You might see her someday…" Naruto trailed off as if waiting for something. He frowned. "I said… you might see her someday!" he yelled. Nothing came. "MIKKI!" he bellowed.

Suddenly a head popped through his stomach. "Oh! Sorry! Did I miss the cue?" asked a girl with white hair and blue eyes.

"Yes… Again… You did this EVERY TIME in Konoha!" Sasuke stated angrily. Both boys looked to the audience.

"Oh… Um…" Naruto began. "… This is Mikki… She was supposed to scare you all… but she failed… again…" he explained.

The audience looked pretty freaked out. His attention was drawn back to Mikki when she spoke to him.

"… You realise that one of your kidneys is missing, right?" she asked him. Naruto looked at her with an annoyed glare.

"Yes. I _do_ know," he snapped. He looked back up and rolled his eyes as his uncle gave him a worried look. "Look, it doesn't matter. It was an accident," he stated.

"… How did you lose… a kidney…?" he asked in shocked disbelief.

"Well… I was on a training trip with Jiraiya and… I went into the 4th tail… so he tried to stop me… and ended up perforating my kidney…?" Naruto hesitantly… well… almost asked… Nagato spun around to face Jiraiya who held up his hands in defence.

"Wait! I didn't mean-" he began before yelling as Nagato began to chase him. Naruto watched worriedly and the audience began to laugh as Naruto got up and started to yell.

"Stop it, uncle!" he yelled. He stood up and paused before yelling weakly. "No! Don't kill godfather!" Naruto began to run after them and managed to hold back his uncle as he was just about to claw his face off. Konan came after them. They were away from the crowds, just outside the village. No one else followed.

Nagato, in a fit of rage, pushed Naruto off him where he landed awkwardly on his arm on the ground.

Konan knelt down beside him and helped him sit up. But he didn't. He took the chance to stop his uncle from killing his godfather. He leaned against Konan and began to moan pitifully. Konan looked at Nagato, completely outraged.

"Nagato! Stop that! You've hurt Naruto!" he bellowed. Nagato stopped and immediately came to Naruto's side. He held him closely, muttering about how sorry he was. When no one was looking, he stopped moaning and winked at Jiraiya who took it as a chance to get away and find the others while Naruto started moaning again.

But, Konan could tell what he was doing… and she'd never let him live it down… ever…

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Wow… Ghosts…_

_Me: Yea. And now fireworks are going off and I don't want to hear anything more from you! It's Halloween so shut up or I'll kill you!_

_Naruto: Ya know, when it comes to brains, you got your clans' share. But when it comes to brute strength, I'm afraid you're at the shallow end of the gene pool…_

_Me: STOP MOCKING 'THE LION KING'! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! Now… Please R&R!_


	28. Imbalance 'Gathering of the Jinchuuriki'

Chapter 28: Imbalance – Gathering of the Jinchuuriki

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto. All songs mentioned belong to their respective __owners._

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Are the others coming? Why?_

_Me: Yes, and I'm not telling…_

_Naruto: But-_

_Me: NO! Please enjoy the story! _

_NARUTO_

Naruto and Kakuzu trudged along to the village, aiming to claim a bounty for the dead body that Kakuzu was carrying with him.

Naruto was listening to his iPod, with 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' (property of Lordi) blaring through the earphones. Kakuzu gave him a look of disdain.

"Naruto, you're going to give yourself tinnitus if you keep listening to music that loud. Not to mention the fact that _I'm_ the one who's paying for the electricity it takes to charge your iPod," he frowned.

Naruto didn't seem to hear him as he simply changed the song to 'Unbound' (property of Avenged Sevenfold). Kakuzu sighed in annoyance as they reached the doors of their destination. Naruto stopped outside and let Kakuzu go on, as he always did. He thought the place smelt too much like dead people.

When Kakuzu came back out 5 minutes later, he found that Naruto had turned off his iPod and was staring at the sky as if expecting something to happen. Kakuzu followed his gaze but saw nothing was out of place.

"Naruto, we have to go," he growled in his usual tone. Naruto didn't respond. "Did that music ruin your hearing? I SAID WE HAVE TO GO!" he yelled. Kakuzu's loud voice reached Naruto's hypersensitive ears making him snap out of it with a yelp.

"Ow! What was that for?" he exclaimed.

"You weren't listening. Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Uh… Yea!" Naruto smiled awkwardly. "Nothing's wrong!" he smiled awkwardly. "Uh… I gotta go…" He got up and hurried away. Kakuzu frowned and followed him at a much slower pace.

Naruto got home very quickly and headed to his room. He pulled some paper and a pen out of his drawer and scribbled something down on it. He took his messenger bird out of its cage and tied the note to his leg.

Opening the window, he whispered "Suna" to the bird. It took off and flew into the distance.

_Later…_

The bird landed on Naruto's windowsill the next day. He took the letter. Previously, Naruto had written to Gaara about a concerning issue. I didn't go into much detail. In fact, he only wrote one sentence.

"_Do you feel it?"_ was all that he had written. Gaara, obviously understanding what he was talking about, had written back.

"_I know. I can't explain it but something feels wrong. We have to meet __somewhere privately and talk about it. What about Tenchi Bridge? Very few people go there,"_ he had responded. Naruto wrote back to him.

"_Of course. It's not that far. If we set out now, we'll both be there by tomorrow. See you then."_

And so, Naruto set out when he was sure that Gaara had gotten the letter. He lied to everyone else, telling them that he was going fishing (Yea. He knew it sucked but it would have to do) and he would be gone for a couple of days. He _was_ on his break after all.

He set out, jumping from tree to tree. A fishing rod was kept in a scroll to reduce suspicion (Not that they weren't already suspicious since Naruto HATED fishing! They all came to the conclusion that he was just extremely bored).

He waited at Tenchi Bridge for 10 minutes before the ex-Jinchuuriki showed up.

"Naruto… It's been a while…" he greeted him. Naruto went over and shook his hand.

"I know. It's been months," Naruto responded. "What's been going on lately is… rather disturbing… isn't it…?"

"I know. Something's happening. Do you they're coming?" he asked, almost fearfully.

"I wasn't able to save 2 Jinchuuriki. Both Shukaku and Niibi were released. Maybe the disturbance was enough to reawaken them… Destruction is on the wind…" he mused.

"I know… The word's already fragile harmony has been disrupted… The followers of the ultimate Tailed Beast are coming… We're targets…"

"… The others have to know… This is a job for Jinchuuriki to deal with… Not mere mortals…"

"I understand. Even though Shukaku had been released, I still have the same senses as I did before. I can feel it."

The two paused. "So, we each take 3 to contact?" asked Naruto. Gaara nodded.

"Yes. And it must be done quickly… Should we involve the Nations…?" Gaara asked hesitantly.

"… We should wait for the others before we decide that…" The two to a step towards each other and shook hands before each separating and fading into the shadows of the trees on either side of them.

Naruto spent the next few days getting back home and writing letters to the other Jinchuuriki. Just as he was writing to Utakata his uncle came in. Before he could see what Naruto was doing, Naruto hid the letter and turned round. Nagato frowned when he came in.

"Why are you wearing your reading glasses?" he asked. Naruto took his glasses off and laughed.

"Oh, I was just about to start working on a new seal!" he exclaimed, trying to sound natural. Nagato seemed satisfied. "So, what can I do you for?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you've seemed a little… secretive about what you're doing recently… I just wanted to know what was going on. Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh… Um… No reason… I just want time to myself…" Naruto responded uneasily. He knew this guy was his uncle but he still barely knew him. He didn't know whether he could trust him with a secret. Especially not one of this magnitude.

"… Alright… But, if you ever need to talk…" he trailed off.

"I'm fine! Stop worrying about me!" he smiled before getting up and pushing the Rinnegan wielder out the door and shutting it in his face as he turned around to speak again. _"… Did that seem suspicious…?"_ he thought for a moment. Then he shook his head and smiled. _"Nah…"_

_2 days later…_

Children's hospital. That was the excuse this time. And a good one at that. It was common for him to go there and stay with the children for days at a time. Often with toys.

So he headed out to Tenchi Bridge. He was fully aware of the dangers of having all eight remaining Jinchuuriki (including an ex-Jinchuuriki) in the same place but it was a risk that they had to take. They could all be killed anyway. These people were after exactly the same things that the Akatsuki once wanted. Actually, they weren't even people…

A few days later, he arrived with Umeko who seemed rather adamant about doing her best to please her sensei in the days to come. Kitsune trotted at his heels. Utakata, Gaara, Fū and Han were already there. B and Rōshi had yet to arrive.

Gaara tuned his head and smiled at them both. He shook Naruto's hand once he got close enough before bending down to Umeko.

"Hello again," he smiled. Umeko's face lit up as she recognised the red-headed man. She bowed in respect.

"Hello Kazekage!" she smiled back.

"Have you all been here long?" Naruto asked him. Gaara stood up straight.

"Not long. 10 minutes, maybe," he shrugged. Fū – Jinchuuriki of the 7 Tails - spoke up.

"I've been here half an hour and I STILL don't know why we're trying to save humanity! They hate us!" she whined. Naruto and Gaara turned to her.

"Not all of us…" they said in unison. Umeko pulled at Naruto's robe and he bent down.

"Why does she hate people…?" she whispered to him.

"She's had some bad experiences with people… Don't worry about it…" he whispered back, ruffling her blonde hair slightly. She pouted and tried to fix her hair while they waited for B, and Rōshi.

It wasn't long before two more people stepped out of the bushes and Naruto heard a familiar voice.

"Yo, yo! What's up Jinchuuriki?" the voice proclaimed loudly. Everyone raised their heads to look at the two newcomers.

"Hey B…" they all said in unison… and in monotone…

"What? No greeting for me?" pouted Rōshi – Jinchuuriki of the 4 Tails.

"Hey Rōshi…"

"So… should we get started…?" Naruto asked. B turned to face him.

"Hey… Don't I know you…?" he asked. Naruto turned his head away, unsure of whether he had met the 8 Tails Jinchuuriki before.

"… I don't know… Maybe…?"

Gaara took this moment to get his point in.

"Shouldn't we start now?" he asked before B could respond.

"Yea. Personally, I'd like to know how we're gonna do this," Rōshi stated.

"Well, the first thing to discuss would be, do we inform the Nations that they might all be destroyed within the month?" Naruto asked sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"I say that they have a right to know what's going on," Han suggested.

"But what if they want to get involved?" Gaara asked.

"Then we just tell them to back out," Naruto said.

"Yes. That will work for B, Gaara and maybe you. You can make Tsunade bend any way you want her to," Utakata cut in.

"Yes, but if one Kage believes it, then they'll all believe it. Especially if Gaara does," Naruto reasoned.

"… Okay… Maybe we should wait until the Nations have been told to decide what to do. They could come up with battle plans for us," Utakata stated.

"I say, we let them blow up," Fū retorted, standing up.

"FŪ!" they yelled. She sat back down and pouted.

"So, is that it then?" Naruto asked.

"We'll keep in close contact with each other over the next few days," Gaara suggested. "We'll all go to our own villages. Naruto, with you, that includes the Leaf and, if you see fit, the Akatsuki."

And that was that. They parted and Naruto went back to the Akatsuki HQ. He had only one person there that he trusted completely with his secret. He mentally argued with himself of the pros and cons. Well, for starters, if he told him, he could let it slip to someone. However, he thought logically. More logically than he could. He might know whether he should tell them or not… Of course, he could be biased and insist that he did… Oh, what the heck! He had a right to know.

Naruto peeped his head around the door. "Sasuke!" he hissed quietly, even though Sasuke was the only one in the room. Sasuke lowered his newspaper and smiled.

"Oh! Hey, Naruto," he said.

"Sasuke, I need to talk to you in my room!"

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter why! Just come on!"

_10 minutes later…_

"Tell them!"

"You're biased! How do I know if I can trust that?"

"You're going to be gone for days! They'll get suspicious and I am NOT lying for you!"

"… Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now go and tell leader!"

_10 minutes later…_

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Nagato's voice boomed.

"Um… Well… Because Gaara and I agreed not to… Um… I mean… It was our business and… um -" Naruto mumbled before being cut off.

"YOUR BUSINESS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR BUSINESS?"

"Because… it's us their targeting and… uh… I know I'm not really one to say something like this but… Uncle… I'm scared…" he whimpered. Nagato's expression softened.

"Scared?"

"Scared that I'll let everyone down… Scared that I won't win… Scared that everyone I love will die… I'm just… I'm just scared…" Naruto said sadly, looking at the floor.

The Akatsuki leader sighed and looked down at his desk, thinking about something to say. Naruto turned away.

"Well… The kid and I had better go…" he mumbled.

"Go where?" he asked.

"To Kiri," he replied.

"Kiri? Why Kiri?" he questioned.

"Because they have to be informed. All our Villages are and after that we will head to Konoha as I'm the only one with an affiliation to it. I hope that's alright with you…" Naruto stopped being professional and began to fidget.

"… Yes… If you all think that is the right thing to do then I have no objections…" Nagato said, quite white with shock from the conversation he just had. "… Would you like to take me with you?" he asked. Naruto chuckled.

"As long as you plan to stay out of my conversations I just might. Remember the last time you decided to input?" he asked. Nagato blushed with embarrassment as he thought back to when he had last voiced his opinion on a plan. The others had told him that it wouldn't work, but he did it anyway.

_Flashback: 2 years ago…_

"_I'm telling you Leader, with all due respect, of course, it's not going to work!" Naruto whispered as they crouched near the entrance to the hideout of the enemy. At this time he had no idea who Pain was to him._

"_Silence Naruto! I'm certain that Deidara can handle this!" he whispered back angrily._

"_Once again, please Leader! Rethink this! We need this man alive and you told Deidara to-" There was a loud explosion and Naruto was cut off. Deidara appeared in the doorway to the building completely covered in soot. He coughed sending soot flying. Naruto waved it away from his face._

"_What happened Deidara?" he demanded._

"_I blew it up just like the Leader told me… He died…" Deidara panted. Naruto looked at Nagato with an accusing glare._

"_That's it… I'm going back to base…" Naruto sighed while taking his hat off._

_End Flashback…_

"You put us out of 150 million ryo," Naruto glared.

"You're not _still_ angry about that, are you?" he blushed.

"Yes… We all are… And THAT'S why you're never invited to planning meetings. No one trusts you," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Wait… I thought you couldn't remember these things!" he objected.

"Deidara told me."

"Deidara…" he hissed angrily, shaking his fist.

"… We had better be going now… Bye…" Naruto stated, turning away.

"I thought you were taking me with you," Nagato stated.

"I said I might. I didn't say I would…"

"But you never let me come along anymore!" he whined.

"_Hopefully he won't notice that he's leader and make me let him come…"_ Naruto thought. As if he had read his mind a smile broke out on the Deva Path's face.

"Oh, wait! I'm leader! I can just make you let me come along!" he beamed. Naruto mentally cursed himself.

"… Alright, but if we're having an important conversation, you shut up a little, ok?" he snapped.

"Yay!" Nagato cheered. Naruto cut into his celebration.

"Please… Never say that again… It isn't cool…" Naruto sweatdropped.

"But, Tobi says it…" he whined.

"My point exactly," Naruto stated as he turned around.

"I'll go get my stuff!" Nagato yelled happily and ran out the door leaving Naruto in the dust. Naruto's eye twitched as Umeko came up behind him.

"Where is he going in such a hurry, sensei?" she asked innocently.

"He's coming with us…" Naruto moaned. "… Wait a minute… He's coming in a dead body… How the heck does he need stuff?" Naruto yelled.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just clothes…" she suggested.

"No… That can't be it… He only ever brings what he wears… He thinks that torn clothes are manly…" Naruto groaned.

"Why would you get torn clothes after a fight in this anime? What is this, Dragonball Z?" she asked.

"Not necessarily. It's a known fact that in this anime if an Akatsuki loses their cloak or part of it gets destroyed, they die."

"But no one died in this fic yet other than Itachi. And he never lost his cloak… I think…"

"Damn you E.T… Write it better from now on! Oh, and by the way Akiza, stop blushing or I'll tell Sasuke that you're fantasising about his brother."

"MY NAME IS UMEKO!"

_NARUTO_

_Me: Hehe…_

_Naruto: What's up?_

_Me: I GOT THE MOST AWESOME CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER FROM MY SISTER!_

_Naruto: Oh, you mean series episodes 1 to 187 of Naruto on DVD with the option of putting it in Japanese subbed? And that awesome Akatsuki shirt with the anti-Leaf symbol on the back?_

_Me: … You didn't need to put it in so much detail… Please R&R!_


	29. First Strike

Chapter 29: First Strike

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo.

_NARUTO_

_Me: Why is this taking so long?_

_Naruto: You have severe procrastination problems. You get bored easily and goof off._

_Me: Hey, don't knock boredom! It's a good friend of mine! (– That's something my big sister says ;P) Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"So are you sure you don't need my help?" Nagato repeated for the umpteenth time during their trip. Naruto, Kitsune and Umeko stopped.

"What kind of help could you possibly give us?" Naruto asked, expecting a silly answer.

"Y'know… Tactics… and… well… stuff!" he eventually proclaimed proudly; hands on hips and waves roaring behind him and all that jazz. Naruto shook his head, took Umeko's hand and led her across the bridge in front of them. She clung to him every step of the way. The Deva Path followed silently behind them, pouting sadly.

Naruto eventually sighed and turned round.

"Alright… What do you want…?" he asked in an exasperated tone. They were already nearing their destination. He had no time for this.

"You won't let me do anything…" he sulked.

"Not you… Him…" Naruto stated, staring up at a tree. Kitsune was doing the same. A lone ninja jumped down. He was dressed in blue with short blue hair and wore a pair of black glasses. He had a rather dangerous weapon – most likely a sword - strapped across his back that was wrapped in bandages, much like the Samehada. The young ninja began to fidget.

"I-I'm sorry… It's just… in the treaty it was stated that the Akatsuki would only come here in the case of an emergency… so…" the ninja began.

"… You decided to try to find out what the problem was…" Naruto picked up where he left off.

"Uh… Right! I'm Chōjūrō. I'm one of the Swordsmen of the Mist… Well… technically I'm the only one this country has left…" he smiled sheepishly. Naruto shot a look at his uncle who, once again, appeared to be off in his own little world just as he had several times during their journey. He rolled his eyes just as Umeko decided to speak.

"Hi, Chōjūrō!" she exclaimed happily. Chōjūrō noticed the little girl clinging to the blond mans' leg and a smile lit up his face.

"Oh! Umeko!" he stated in a surprised tone. Naruto looked down at her.

"You know him, kid?" he asked.

"Yea. He was just about the only person who was nice to me and… are you listening to me sensei?" she pouted. Sure enough, Naruto had stopped looking in her direction and didn't even look like he was listening at all. He may have been staring at an annoying squirrel that he could have sworn had been taunting him all the way from the Land of Rivers but Umeko couldn't be sure. All she knew was that the squirrel had been throwing acorns at him and Naruto was glaring angrily at the tiny creature though it didn't seem bothered and threw another acorn which landed at his feet with a small thump.

"Hm?" His attention went back to Umeko. "Were you saying something?" he asked. Chōjūrō sighed. Umeko was a bright girl but it was almost certain that these two older men were either incompetent or just plain idiotic. And what was with the dude with the piercings? And why were they here in the first place? He decided to interrupt them, hoping to get the answers to all the questions that were buzzing around inside his head at some point.

"Um… If you would like, I could escort you all to Lady Mizukage if you wish…" Chōjūrō suggested. Naruto turned back around.

"We are managing quite alright as it is," Naruto stated in a bored tone.

"O-oh… It's just… I-I was heading to Lady Mizukage anyway…" he stammered. Then, without warning, Naruto yelped as a hand met the back of his head with a smack.

"OW! What was that for?" he whined, turning round to face his uncle. He began to rub the back of his head.

"Manners, Naruto. Show him some manners," Nagato stated. Naruto grumbled and turned away so no one would see him pouting. He could hear Kyuubi laughing hysterically at his misfortune.

_Shut up K__yuubi…_ he warned.

"… Fine then…" he sulked.

_Alright,_ Chōjūrō thought. _I was right. These guys ARE idiots. But they're Akatsuki. I can't underestimate them._

"U-uh… T-thank you…" he stuttered as they began to walk at a leisurely pace towards the front gates.

Chōjūrō had decided to walk beside Naruto who wasn't paying him much attention at all. Chōjūrō kept turning his head to him slightly to see if he could get his attention by looking at him every so often. Eventually, Naruto sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Oh… Uh…" Chōjūrō stammered, unable to think of anything to say.

"… You're not very confident, are you…?" Naruto asked him.

"Um…"

"You know, you're part of one of the most powerful forces in your country. I just can't see how you can be afraid of everything and everyone when you're more powerful than just about everything and everyone. It makes no sense…" Naruto voiced his opinions.

"It's just… I'm the only one left… The others are all against me and… I'm afraid of messing up…" he muttered.

"Hey, you're only human. It's only natural that you make mistakes in your life. What matters is that you learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others because you don't have time to make them all yourself. I mean, I've made so many mistakes in my life. Mistakes that have hurt so many people. But I got up and kept going. If you make a mistake you have to get on with your life. Just make the darn mistake instead of worrying about it. If you don't you'll never get anywhere," Naruto explained. Chōjūrō looked at him in amazement. Maybe he wasn't so stupid after all…

He looked in front of him. "Well, we're here," he stated. They entered the city and when they reached the Mizukage's office they were immediately granted entry. Mei sat behind her desk, smiling sincerely at them. Chōjūrō decided that he was going to wait outside to give his mission report to Mei when they left.

"Hello Naruto. Umeko. Uh…" she trailed off when she looked at Nagato having never seen him before. Nagato held out his hand.

"Pain…" he said dramatically. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"_Drama queen…"_ he thought.

Realisation dawned on Mei's face. She was in the presence of the leader of the Akatsuki.

"Ah!" she smiled. "The Akatsuki's leader, am I right?" Pain nodded. "Oh, well that clears everything up! Please, sit!" she beckoned. Since there were only two chairs, Umeko sat on Naruto's knees earning a dejected whimper from Kitsune, having lost his spot on his master's lap. Naruto patted him on the head to keep him happy.

"So," Mei began, "to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" she asked. "We agreed to only come to one another if there was a problem."

"Ah… About that…" began Naruto. He therefore began to explain their whole situation. All about the Jinchuuriki, the people coming to kill them, the Ultimate Tailed Beast. By the end she had become a deathly shade of white.

"A-are you absolutely sure about this…?" she stammered. Umeko decided it was her turn to speak.

"Yes," she said. Naruto took over again.

"We're not sure who the leader is, but we plan to find out over the next month. We're letting the other Nations know at the minute," he explained.

"Oh… Well… We'll probably have a meeting in the Land of Iron about this…" she said quietly.

"That's something we have yet to discuss with Konoha," Naruto stated with a frown. "If you were to have a Kage Summit, what would stop the enemy from attacking you all? It would be a perfect way to get the Hidden Nation's leaders out of the way."

"Alright then… When are you leaving for Konoha…?" she asked.

"As soon as possible, ma'am," Naruto responded.

"Well, I won't be keeping you then, unless you have something else to discuss with me," she said.

"No, ma'am. We have to leave quickly. We assume that they will be attacking us within the next month or so. We must reach Konoha as soon as possible," Naruto explained while standing up. He placed Umeko on the floor. "We had best be going now."

"Alright then," she said. "Good luck." She stood and shook Naruto's hand. Pain stood and did the same. They said their goodbye's and left the office. They eventually headed out of the office and the village and into the countryside.

They hadn't traveled for very long when a messenger bird that Naruto recognised flew down towards them.

"Hmm… That's Gaara's messenger bird…" he said out loud as the bird landed on his arm. It was a quite large brown eagle. He took out the letter which was addressed to him and opened it up. He got about halfway down the page when his eyes went wide and he swallowed heavily.

"What's wrong?" asked Pain. "Is something wrong with your friend?" Naruto finished reading before turning to his uncle. Nagato couldn't help but notice that he was very pale.

"… We have to go to Suna… Now…" he responded breathlessly.

"Why? What's wrong? What about Konoha?" he quizzed.

"There's no time… Suna is being attacked…" Naruto was starting to sweat now. Pain froze up.

"… So we forget about Konoha then…?"

"No… Not forget... We just might have to delay for a while…"

Nagato could see just by looking at him that this was important to him. That and Naruto was giving him huge puppy-dog eyes at the moment. That was what made him cave in the end.

"Alright! Alright! We'll go. Is there any information about the enemy?" Nagato asked him. Naruto held out the message to him and he took it from him. He got to a line about halfway down the page when he saw what Gaara had written.

"_I trust you more than anyone else on Earth Naruto, but the leader of the group appears to be wearing an Akatsuki cloak but he is not Pain. None of the others appear to have anything to do with the Akatsuki. If you can send us any more information it would be greatly appreciated._

_Your friend,_

_Gaara"_

Pain didn't know what to say. One of his subordinates going against his orders and attacking an allied Nation? He would make sure to put them right.

"… We'll contact the base first and see who is missing. There's nobody out on missions at the moment so only one person should be missing," he stated. Naruto was impressed that he actually managed to come up with a decent plan.

"Uh… Ok…" Naruto replied. He watched as Pain made a hand sign. He stood in the same position for a few minutes and then lowered his hands with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" asked Umeko politely. Nagato looked at Naruto.

"It's strange… Konan told me that Tobi is missing…" he mused.

"Tobi?" Naruto echoed.

"Yes… You know, during his time at the Akatsuki I never did get to see his skills…" Pain responded quietly.

"You put me on that mission with Tobi about a week ago, remember? I've seen him fight," Naruto stated quickly.

"Really? What did he do?" Nagato demanded.

"… It was… really weird…" Naruto began. "We were on the mission when two missing-nin tried to sneak up behind us…"

_Flashback_

_Naruto could smell them coming and alerted Tobi beforehand. There were two of them; one coming from either side of them. The two Akatsuki ninja jumped into the trees and stopped. Just a few seconds after, they had drawn their kunai and were intercepting the missing-nin…_

_Well… Naruto was intercepting one of them…_

_The missing-nin that Tobi was supposed to be attacking… just passed straight through him!_

_Naruto spun round to catch the kunai which ended up embedding in his hand which let Tobi spin around so that he could embed the kunai he was holding in the back of the man's head._

_End flashback_

"I don't really remember the rest of the fight. The kunai was poisoned. I just remember pain in my arm and a falling feeling. Then I was looking up from the ground as Tobi finished off the other guy. He said I fell out of the tree. Sorry I can't tell you anything more than that," he finished with a sheepish smile.

"Hmmm… Well… At least we know something… Are you sure there's nothing else…?" Nagato asked.

"… Well… I don't know if it matters but… I managed to get a look into his mask at his eye before I fell… It was red… Like the Sharingan…" Naruto pondered.

"Sharingan?" Nagato asked.

"Yea… But… It wasn't like Sasuke's… or from what I remember of Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan… It was like it… but the markings were different… Maybe he's an Uchiha…?" Naruto suggested.

"… I'm not sure how it could be possible… Maybe one could have been on a mission while the massacre happened… But if there was, I'm sure Sasuke would have known… Maybe he was already a missing-nin?"

"Maybe we should ask Sasuke about it. Maybe there's something more than the Mangekyo Sharingan," Naruto replied.

"Well, first we should run back to the base. It's too dangerous to bring a child to a battlefield," he began looking down at Umeko. "Then you can ask Sasuke about this whole thing. We'll send information to Suna and the rest of the Akatsuki can follow us there and fight off the invaders," Nagato stated in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

After Naruto got over the initial shock of his uncle actually coming up with a plan that made sense, he nodded quietly. The two turned and left as quickly as they could, stopping only once for Naruto to write a letter back to Suna about what they found out and that the Akatsuki would be coming as soon as they could. Basically, he just told him to hold out for as long as he could and that he believed in him. He also apologised for anything the Akatsuki member may have done and that they weren't going to get away with it.

He told Gaara what Tobi looked like and that, if it was him, that Gaara himself should not engage in battle. He also told him what he knew that Tobi could do and that he may be an Uchiha. He would send more information at a later point.

After dropping off Umeko and briefing the others, they headed out to Suna. As they ran, Deidara began to run beside him.

"I'm gonna kill that twerp…" Deidara growled through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, Deidara. What if he has an explanation?" Naruto reasoned.

"But you can see what he's doing! Isn't the Kazekage your friend?" Deidara yelled. Naruto was silent.

"I know… but… I don't want to kill him… Not unless he hurt someone I cared about… I'm not like that…" Naruto responded quietly.

"Not like that? Naruto, I've seen you in battle! You would do anything to kill!" Deidara retorted angrily.

"Never a friend, Deidara…! … Never a friend…" Naruto responded sadly. "Oh! And don't forget…" he began, "I'm still not over the whole Gaara thing. You and Sasori still have a Rasengan with your names on it…"

Deidara paled. "I'll make sure to keep out of your way then…" he muttered.

The next while was pretty quiet until they reached the Land of Wind. Loud explosions could be heard going off in the distance. They paused.

"That doesn't sound too good…" Sasori muttered.

"… No… We'd better hurry…" Naruto responded.

As they began running, a sandstorm started to pick up. They continued to run until they reached the site of the battle.

Naruto began to speed up as he let out 2 tails of power and charged at Tobi; knocking him out of the way as he brought down his kunai knife towards an exhausted Gaara who was on his knee's; his sand unresponsive. Apparently Tobi hadn't noticed him coming because Naruto didn't pass through him like he expected to.

He spared a glance at Gaara who was giving him an incredulous look as if he couldn't believe that Naruto was actually standing there.

"N-Naruto…? You took so long… I thought you weren't coming…" Gaara mumbled tiredly.

"I never abandon my friends Gaara," Naruto growled out. He turned towards Tobi and let out an inhuman roar that made Gaara cover his ears in pain. Naruto sped towards Tobi at a breakneck pace as the masked man began to stand up. This time, he saw Naruto coming and Naruto ended up passing straight through him. After he had passed through, Tobi kicked him into a large rock that was jutting out of the sand. Naruto hit the wall hard collapsed onto the sand. Tobi chuckled.

"I saw you coming that time, Naruto…" Tobi stated. His voice was much different and much less playful than Naruto remembered. Naruto sat up and shook his head to stop it from spinning.

"Tobi… Why are you doing this…?" Naruto asked as he stood up.

"Oh, it's quite simple, really," Tobi stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "You were all my puppets from the beginning… Especially you, Naruto…"

"Wha-? What do you mean?" Naruto demanded.

"My plan was originally to just remove you all one by one… The Jinchuuriki, that is… I was just going to remove all of your Tailed Beasts… But I found a much more efficient way… I've already begun the ritual to resurrect the ultimate Tailed Beast which you all surely must have sensed by now… And now all I need to do is to kill all you one by one! And of course, since they have already been removed, I don't have to bother with the Shukaku or the Niibi anymore, now, do I?"

Naruto stared with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"… Did my uncle have anything to do with this…?" he asked breathlessly.

"Oh, of course! I appointed him as the leader of the Akatsuki for a reason… He wouldn't choose family over peace…" Naruto could almost hear the grin in Tobi's voice.

"… I… No… He… He wouldn't…" Naruto fell to his knees in despair. "He… He wanted to… to… kill me…?"

"Oh, yes. That's the whole point. As he is one of your only existing family members, I asked him to lure you in. You would make a much easier target… Tsukuyomi!" Tobi yelled. Naruto was just able to hear his uncle yelling his name before he slipped into the genjutsu…

… And there he was tortured for what seemed like days with the pain of having Kyuubi forcibly ripped from his body and of having to watch as it and his friends were all burned alive in front of him while he could do nothing. His spirit was broken by their screams of agony. Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, Guy, Iruka… Hinata… All gone… Over and over again…

… And it only took a few seconds outside the genjutsu for Naruto to scream and collapse on the dusty terrain.

"All too easy…" Tobi commented before drawing a sword that was sheathed on his back. "This is it… Kyuubi…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: And, we'll leave it there!_

_Naruto: NO! WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?_

_Me: … I'll work on that…_

_Naruto: … You mean… you don't know…?_

_Me: Nope! Hasn't been planned yet! This all came off the top of my head at 9:00 at night! Anyways, please R&R! And happy belated Easter everyone!_

_Romans 6:8-11 _

_Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, __he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus._


	30. Akane

Chapter 30: Akane

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: Finally! I can see what happens!_

_Me: Haha! I know what you mean. But wait 'til you see. I'll still be doing this in 2 weeks. Exams y'know._

_Naruto: Ah. Yea. I know the feeling – not that I ever revised anyway._

_Me: Yea. I've seen that happen. They revise minutes before the exam starts, start panicking and blame it on the teacher when it's over. I feel sorry for Iruka._

_Naruto: … Was I really that bad, Iruka…?_

_Iruka: Oh, yea._

_Me: Anyways, please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

"All too easy…" Tobi commented before drawing a sword that was sheathed on his back. "This is it… Kyuubi…"

Suddenly, the sword in his hand was knocked away by what appeared to be a sharpened chakra rod. Tobi growled in irritation as someone stood between him and his target.

"You're a fool, Nagato…" Tobi declared.

"No, Tobi. You're the fool. You betrayed me. You hurt my family. I cannot forgive you…" Nagato hissed.

"Really? I'm not sure he thinks of you that way anymore…" Tobi said quietly.

"… What do you mean…? What did you do to him?!" Nagato demanded.

"He's quite easy to trick, really. All I needed to do was to make him lose faith in the one he trusts most, and his spirit was relatively easy to break," came his vague explanation. Nagato growled in anger.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Nagato bellowed. He charged at Tobi with the chakra rod ready to pierce his heart. However, when it came to the point of impact, he simply went straight through him.

"That's not going to work, Nagato…" Tobi stated. He turned around to face him as Nagato turned around.

"Don't call me Nagato! I am Pain! And to create a world of peace, you must be eliminated!" Nagato bellowed.

"Hmph… I don't think so… You're foolish ideals will never come to pass, Nagato," Tobi responded quietly.

Nagato rushed him again and went straight through him. This time, Tobi did not speak. Instead he seemed to be listening to something… or someone…

"Hmph… You are lucky that I cannot stay, Nagato. But know this. The Juubi will soon be resurrected. The Jinchuuriki will be picked off one by one and the world will be mine. Be ready, Nagato Uzumaki…"

With that, the air around Tobi began to ripple and it almost seemed like the hole in his mask was sucking him in… and it was! Soon, he was completely gone and the sandstorm that had kicked up around them died down.

Nagato cursed at being unable to deliver his revenge. Then he remembered his nephew lying behind him. He spun around and headed to where Naruto had collapsed in a heap in the sand, falling on his knees beside him. He picked him up slightly, cradling his head. Nagato shook him slightly.

"Naruto, are you alright?" No response. "Naruto?" Nothing. He shook him more vigorously which only succeeded in making Naruto's head fall limply against his uncle's chest.

Nagato quickly checked his pulse. It was racing. His breathing was quick and Nagato, even without medical knowledge, knew that wasn't good. He turned round, seeing that Konan – the only medical ninja there right now – was busy treating the Kazekage.

He picked him up and began to head towards his fiancé to see if there was anything she could do. As he neared them, Sasuke turned, picking up the residual traces of a genjutsu that had just finished its work. And it felt remarkably like his Tsukuyomi.

"Did something happen, sir?" asked Sasuke.

"Naruto got hurt…" he replied. "Some kind of genjutsu. I didn't see it."

"That's strange… I felt the residual traces of a Tsukuyomi…"

"Maybe…"

Konan turned and came over to them. She placed her hand on Naruto's forehead and let it glow a soothing blue colour. She frowned.

"He's fine but he's absolutely exhausted," she responded.

"I'm not surprised, if it was Tsukuyomi," Sasuke stated, a frown on his face.

Gaara stood up.

"What's going on, anyway? Why did one of the Akatsuki attack my village?" he demanded.

Nagato ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"To be honest… I don't know… It wasn't one of my orders…" Nagato told him.

"So, he's rogue, then?" Gaara questioned.

"… I suppose so…" The Deva Path put a hand to his chin. "… But why…? I don't understand… He was always loyal…"

Gaara sighed. He wasn't going to get any answers from someone who didn't have them in the first place.

Suddenly, Naruto groaned in his uncle's arms. Nagato placed him on the ground and Naruto sat up, rubbing his head.

"Ugh… What happened…?" Naruto asked rhetorically. His uncle responded anyway.

"We think that Tobi used Tsukuyomi on you…" Nagato responded. Naruto looked up.

"… Tsukuyomi…? So I was right, then. He _is_ an Uchiha…" Naruto trailed off and turned to look at Gaara. "Are you alright, Gaara?" he asked. Gaara smiled slightly.

"I should be asking you the same thing, Naruto," Gaara responded. Naruto chuckled.

"Nah. I'm just tired. You look worse than I do," Naruto smiled.

"I do? I probably just need rest, like most of the people here do," Gaara chuckled.

Naruto looked around. "So, how much damage was done?" Naruto asked as Konan got up and moved to the next patient.

Gaara looked around and assessed the damage. The once-mighty walls of the village had crumbled and some of the buildings on the outskirts of Suna had collapsed.

"Overall, I'd say that it's nothing that a few Earth Style shinobi can't fix. After all, most of the buildings here are made from rock. I'm more worried about my people…" Gaara muttered as he watched a Medical Ninja feel for the pulse in a kunoichi's arm. After a few seconds, the ninja sighed and put the arm down, moving off to the next patient, hoping that this one was alive.

Gaara sighed sadly and Naruto moved over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Gaara didn't look at him.

"It's going to be alright… I promise, Gaara, that they won't have died in vain… I'll destroy the ones responsible…" Naruto told him.

Gaara turned around, expecting to see sympathy. However, he was met with a look of sadness, anger and complete seriousness. Naruto would have no mercy on the ones responsible. Gaara looked down.

"But can I avenge them, Naruto? I'm not the same person that I was when you first met me…" emanated his barely audible voice.

For a few seconds, Naruto was silent. Then, Gaara heard him sigh and the grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Only you can answer that, Gaara… Maybe you should ask your people what _they_ want… Their opinions matter, too…" Naruto told him.

Gaara frowned.

"I didn't think of it like that… Yes… I should consult my people…" Gaara made up his mind. Then he frowned.

"By the way, Naruto… Do you remember what you saw in that genjutsu…?" he asked hesitantly.

Naruto pondered this for a few seconds before shrugging.

"Honestly… I don't remember," he told him.

"It's better that way," Gaara responded.

"Yea. If it's bad as I've been told, I'd rather not remember it," he stated. Then, he remembered something.

'_Hey, Kyuubi. Are you ok?' _he thought to himself. For a few seconds there was silence and Naruto began to panic. What if his friend was hurt? Then, Kyuubi's gruff voice drifted through his mind.

"**Don't worry, Naruto. I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. You worried me…"** he responded quietly.

'_I'm sorry…'_ Naruto told him sadly.

Gaara noticed him look sadly off into the distance and spoke to him.

"Are you OK?" he asked. "What happened here wasn't your fault…"

Naruto snapped out of his stupor and sat silently for a second.

"… I don't know, Gaara… He seemed awfully interested in Kyuubi…" Naruto told him quietly.

"What do you mean?" Gaara questioned.

"… Maybe… Maybe he's the one that's after our Tailed Beasts… Maybe, because you don't contain yours anymore, he wanted to get rid of you first so that you wouldn't get in his way later…" Naruto speculated.

"… That masked man… You called him Tobi, correct?" Gaara asked.

"Yes."

"Which Village was he from prior to joining the Akatsuki?" he asked out of the blue.

"… What Village…? Hmm… I don't know… He never wore a headband… I have his DNA on record, though. Maybe the Hidden Villages could go through their records?" Naruto suggested.

"That might not be a bad idea. If we can find which Village he's from, maybe we can find out his jutsu. His strengths and weaknesses," Gaara muttered.

"I have to ask permission before I can share any records with you, though…" Naruto told him sheepishly. "I'll ask now."

Naruto got up and walked over to his uncle. Gaara watched as Naruto recited their proposal to him. Then he saw Pain nod and say something else.

Then, Naruto raised his fingers to his lips and let out a long, high-pitched whistle.

From behind a sand dune, Gaara watched as Naruto's bright orange fox scampered to his side, tail wagging madly as it awaited an order. Apparently he had become bored and followed Konan.

Naruto bent down and ruffled its fur as he whispered something to it. Then it barked and scampered off into the distance.

Naruto turned and walked back to Gaara before sitting down in front of him.

"I sent Kitsune to find his records. He knows where they are," Naruto grinned.

"Your partner is very bright," Gaara remarked.

"Haha… It helps when you can communicate… You can thank Kyuubi for that…" Naruto chuckled.

"Kyuubi? Has he really had that much of an effect on you?" Gaara asked him.

"Yea."

"When did you start hearing them talk?" Gaara asked.

"Well… To be honest, it was before I left Konoha… I'd run away from the village for a few hours to clear my head after the villagers started hurling insults at me…"

_Flashback…_

_Naruto sat in the shade of a rather large tree with his head buried in his knees, the harsh comments of the villagers still burning fresh in his mind._

"_Why don't you just go and die, demon…?" Naruto muttered to himself. He sighed as he felt someone approach him and sit beside him._

"… _I heard what happened… I'm not making you come back… Just come back when you're ready…" he heard Jiraiya's voice._

"… _Why do they keep saying things like that…? Why does it not matter what I do for them…?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled by his knees._

_He felt Jiraiya wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him close. Then there was a few seconds of silence._

"… _It's because… they can't see what a truly precious thing they have until it's no longer there…" Jiraiya responded carefully._

"… _I think that they still wouldn't care even if I wasn't here…" Naruto told him. Jiraiya sighed._

"… _Never forget the people that matter to you, Naruto…" he stated. "… There are people who care… You're my precious student and it hurts me to see you so sad…_

_When Naruto didn't respond, Jiraiya patted him on the back and got up to leave him with his thoughts. Apparently nothing he could say or do could snap him out of it. After all, he knew that Naruto could only take so much abuse from the villagers. He wasn't completely impervious and every so often, something would rattle him._

_And just because he smiled, it didn't mean that he wasn't crying inside…_

_And so, he left him alone for a while._

_As Naruto sulked, he suddenly felt something else come up beside him and rub up against him. It was furry. Thinking that it was Akamaru, he lifted his head to tell him to clear off. But, instead, beside him, he saw the rusty red fur of a fox. It sat beside him, staring, its tongue sticking out slightly as its bushy, white-tipped tail swished in the air behind it. It didn't look dangerous. Just curious. Like it had never really encountered anything like him before._

_Naruto's eyes widened for a second. He'd never really encountered a fox before. Sure, he'd caught one or two crossing his path when he was on missions or maybe in the streets at night, but never up close._

"… _I don't suppose you'd understand what I'm going through right now…" he muttered. He buried his head in his knees again, unable to be bothered to make it go away. Then, to his surprise…_

"_Try me…"__ the fox said._

_Naruto's head shot up and he stared at the fox. Then he chuckled._

"_I'm going mad… I thought you just talked to me…" Naruto laughed mirthlessly._

"_Wait… Can you hear me…? Can you actually hear me?!"__ the fox exclaimed._

_Naruto was quiet as he stared at the fox. Then the fox got up and walked closer. Naruto backed up a little._

"_What are you…? Some kind of demon fox…?" Naruto asked hesitantly._

"_Hah! No! I'm just a normal fox. The question is what are you? Humans can't understand us anymore!"__ the fox told him._

"_I'm just a human! There's no way there's anything special about… me…" Naruto trailed off, realisation hitting him. "Kyuubi…" he whispered. The fox was taken aback._

"_W-wait… You're Master Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?!"__ the fox asked, startled._

"_M-Master? What do you mean Master?" Naruto asked, startled._

"_He's the most powerful f__ox in existence! Of course he's our Master!"__ the fox told him. __"My name is Akane. I must say that it is an honour to meet Master Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki… I never expected someone as lowly as I to meet you…"__ she stated, bowing her head. Naruto chuckled. This w__as definitely odd…_

"_N-no! The pleasure is all mine!" he assured her. She looked shocked. It was almost as if she had expected him to be all high and mighty and was completely shocked to find that he was exactly the opposite._

_Akane pawed at the ground with an embarrassed look on her face. She looked like she had a question to ask but was too ashamed to ask or maybe thought that she wasn't worthy to ask. Naruto knew exactly what she wanted to know. He held out his hand._

"_My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you," he smiled. Shocked that he understood what she was thinking, she slowly approached him and tentatively placed her paw in his hand, accepting the hand shake._

"_N-nice to meet you… Umm… Mr Uzumaki… Are there others who can speak to foxes, too…?" __she asked him. Naruto rolled his eyes._

"_Call me Naruto…" he sighed. "… And… No… I don't think so…"_

_Akane sighed. She didn't think so, but that didn't stop her from being disappointed._

"_I thought that maybe I was the only one who could talk to you because Kyuubi is inside of me. Why did you ask if there were others?" he asked._

_Akane promptly began to tell Naruto of how foxes were very powerful creatures. As more and more people began to stop believing in them and began to believe in such things as the Will of Fire, their powers dried up for unknown reasons. (__**A/N – I think I already mentioned this before when Itachi died.)**_

_Afterwards, Naruto heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw Sakura landing beside him. Obviously, she had been running through the trees until just now._

"_Naruto, where have you been? I haven't seen you for over an hour," she berated him._

"… _An hour…? Have I been gone that long…?" he asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded._

"_You should probably come back. The others are really worried that what those guys said about you really hurt your feelings. You should just ignore them," Sakura told him. Naruto sighed. Like he hadn't been doing that for the past 16 years…_

_Suddenly, Naruto remembered Akane and turned around, expecting to see her there. However, Sakura seemed to have spooked her, for she had run off into the bushes._

_He smiled. 'Oh well… Maybe I'll see her again someday…' he thought to himself._

_End flashback…_

"Did you?" asked Gaara.

"Yea. She lives around the base, now. Rumour has it that she has something going on with Kitsune, if you catch my drift," Naruto added, nudging Gaara suggestively in the side. Gaara stared at him.

"… No…" he replied. Naruto raised his eyebrow, seeming to find this a little strange. Temari noticed this and stopped.

"Oh, don't worry about that. He hasn't had the talk yet," Temari told Naruto.

"You haven't given him the talk yet?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"We didn't think we needed to," she defended herself.

"You're just avoiding it…" Naruto retorted.

"… That too, but he hasn't started liking women yet. He's fine for now," Temari beamed.

"But we're not talking about a pre-pubescent teen, here. This is a fully grown man who hasn't had the talk yet!" Naruto argued.

"What talk?" asked Gaara.

"… I'm not sure that I'm the right person to tell you that…" Naruto told him.

Suddenly, Kankuro passed them. Naruto got up and he and Temari walked over to him. Temari patted him on the shoulder.

"He's curious now," Naruto told him.

"Someone has to do it…" Temari grinned.

"… Wait… You mean THAT?!" Kankuro yelled.

"Yup," Naruto told him.

"Well… I HAVE seen him with a girl before…" Kankuro mused. **(A/N - *heartbroken*) **Temari, who was drinking from a bottle of water, spat it out onto the ground in shock.

"What did I tell you?" Naruto told her.

"… When all of this calms down… I think it's time…" Kankuro said quietly.

"How do you think he'll react?" asked Naruto.

"… I don't know, Naruto… I just don't know…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: That last part was random but it had to be written… WHY GAARA?! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!_

_Naruto: Um… No…_

_Me: SHUT UP, NARUTO!_

_Naruto: Have you been playing or watching something scary again?_

_Me: … Corpse Party…_

_Naruto: Ugh… That's bad…_

_Me: Anyway, please R&R!_


	31. After-Effects

Chapter 31: After-Effects

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo.

_NARUTO_

_Naruto: … You're drawing a blank on what to say, aren't you…?_

_Me: … NEVER!_

_Naruto: … Then say something…_

_Me: … I don't feel like it…_

_Naruto: Why?_

_Me: … NO ONE SEE'S THE WIZARD! … _

_Naruto: O_o_

_Me: Please enjoy the story!_

_NARUTO_

Naruto rolled over in his makeshift bed that night, unable to sleep. After warding off Tobi's attacks, Gaara had invited them all to spend the night in Suna. Then he invited Naruto to his house so that they could catch up on what had been going on. This resulted in Naruto staying the night.

Now, Naruto was lying on a makeshift bed in Gaara's room, tossing and turning. He just couldn't sleep tonight. Too many things had happened. Naruto rolled onto his back and let out a long sigh.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Naruto heard Gaara's familiar, quiet voice. He sighed again.

"… No… Too much has happened lately. I can't get my head around it," Naruto told his friend.

"I can't sleep either… What do you think this Tobi is up to?" Gaara asked.

"I can't be sure. Kitsune should be back soon, though. He'll have the information that we need after that," Naruto responded.

"How will knowing who he is aid us?" Gaara questioned.

"Simple. We check his DNA against the DNA of all past ninja from the other Villages. Then, should we find his identity, we also find out what techniques he uses. Then -" Naruto was cut off.

"- We can formulate a strategy to defeat him?" Gaara's finishing statement was more like a question.

"Yes. So, you see, it makes sense. Especially if we can find someone who knew them while they were in the Village. They would have some idea of his fighting style," Naruto told him.

Gaara sighed. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it until that fox comes back."

Naruto's eye twitched. "Hey. _"That fox"_ has a name, you know," Naruto stated in a disgruntled tone.

"We'd better get some sleep, then," Gaara told him.

"Hmph…" Naruto grunted, still irritated by his friend's comment about _"that fox."_

'_But I suppose that he's right. There's nothing we can do until Kitsune comes back. And we DID have a long day… Sleep seems like a good idea…'_ Naruto thought, his body suddenly feeling very heavy. Naruto sighed and slowly let the silent darkness of sleep wash over him…

_Two days later…_

Naruto was almost sure that Kitsune was in the vicinity. _Almost._ The sand was muddling his sense of smell and, if Naruto were to close his eyes, he'd barely be able to tell what was what. Even the _people_ smelled of sand!"

"Are you sure that you smell that fox?" Gaara, who stood beside Naruto, asked him quietly as they stared out at the vast desert that lay beyond the crumbled gates of the Village.

Naruto grunted, his eye once again twitching at the comment about _"that fox."_

"I don't know. The sand is making it hard to keep track of scents." Naruto was silent for a few seconds. "… You really need to do something about that…" he said quietly.

"Do something about what?" Gaara questioned with a puzzled expression.

"This sand!" Naruto exclaimed as if Gaara had just said something stupid.

Gaara looked at him with an incredulous expression.

"… Wait… Let me get this straight… You want me to remove all of the sand from a giant desert?" Gaara raised an eyebrow (or would have if he had them).

"Uh-huh," came the simple answer. Gaara sighed.

"And put it where?"

"I don't know. The sea? A beach? Somewhere that I'm not?" Naruto suggested.

Gaara stared at him. By the look on his face, Gaara could tell that Naruto was completely serious.

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Gaara asked.

"You control sand. Just move it somewhere else," Naruto deadpanned.

Gaara sighed. Today was going to be a long day. Not only was it the hottest day in the history of Suna, but now he had to explain to his clueless friend the reason why he couldn't just simply MOVE A DESERT! **(1)**

Suddenly, Gaara felt himself relax with relief as they heard a faint bark. Out in the desert, Naruto and Gaara could see a small yet sleek orange coloured animal leaping over a sand dune.

It didn't take long to reach them. When it did, the animal – now identified as Kitsune – sat down in front of its partner, its tail wagging happily. Naruto bent down and ruffled its fur. He held out his hand and Kitsune dropped a scroll that had once been clenched firmly between its teeth into Naruto's open hand.

"Good job, Kitsune. Up," Naruto commanded. The fox jumped into his arms and Naruto stood up straight again.

Checking the label on the scroll, he could tell that it was, indeed, Tobi's information.

"That's it?" Gaara asked.

"Uh-huh. I'll take Kitsune back to the hotel to stay with the rest of the Akatsuki. Then, I'll undo this seal and bring you his DNA," Naruto told him.

"Alright then. Bring it to my office," Gaara stated.

Naruto nodded and walked off towards the hotel that the rest of the Akatsuki were staying in.

Upon arriving and opening the door, Kitsune leapt down from his arms and sprinted into the kitchen where Konan was preparing dinner. He whimpered to get her attention, his large, brown eyes just begging for some of that bacon that she was frying. She laughed.

"Back again, are we?" she chuckled. She threw him a piece that was already fried and laughed when he jumped into the air to catch the salty treat. Naruto suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Don't spoil him too much, Konan. We don't want him getting fat, now, do we?" Naruto laughed.

Kitsune turned his head to face Naruto. He stopped chewing and gave him that innocent look that just said _'Master! And if I could POSSIBLY get fat!' _Then the fast-paced chewing resumed, the bacon sticking out on either side of his mouth.

Naruto opened the scroll and headed towards the table.

"Where's Uncle Nagato?" he asked.

"Oh, him? He's out and about. You know him. Can't keep his Deva Path in one place," Konan smirked, turning a piece of bacon which Kitsune eyed hungrily.

"Stop that, Kitsune. You'll have to wait until dinner like the rest of us," Naruto told him.

Kitsune whimpered dejectedly and began to slink off into the living room where he claimed a spot beside Deidara on the sofa.

Meanwhile, Naruto had laid out the scroll on the table. He bit into his thumb, drawing a tiny amount of blood and, after racing through some hand seals, he slammed his hand down onto the scroll. A poof of smoke was released from the scroll and, when it settled, a small vial of blood sat in the middle of the seal. He lifted the vial and turned to Konan.

"I'll be back again in a little while," he told her.

"Alright. Your uncle is going to be kicking himself when he finds out that he missed you," Konan chuckled.

"I'll see him later, anyway. I'm only going to see Gaara. Bye," Naruto stated.

Soon, the door had closed behind Naruto as he exited the building. He slipped the vial into his pocket, turned and began to make his way towards the Kazekage Tower.

Upon reaching the Tower, he was immediately escorted to see Gaara by his assistant. She didn't seem all that old. In fact, she seemed to be barely over the age of 13.

'_She must excel in this field of work…'_ Naruto thought as the much smaller young girl walked in front of him, her light brown ponytail swaying slightly as she walked.

"So, how long have you been working for Gaara?" he asked the girl.

"Only about 2 months. I'm still not sure if I'm doing my job right, though… Miss Temari keeps scolding me for getting things wrong…" she muttered.

"Don't mind her. She's just trying to point out your flaws so that you can fix them and do your job better," Naruto told her.

"I know… But still… I have so many…" She stopped walking. Naruto smiled and placed a hand on her head.

"Hey. Don't look so down! Gaara's always been one for noticing the potential in people. If he didn't think that you could do your job, would he have hired you?" Naruto chuckled. The child turned to face him.

"Do you really think so?" she asked.

"I know so," he stated.

The little girl giggled and skipped on ahead. Naruto chuckled and ended up jogging to keep up with her.

Upon reaching Gaara's office door, the little girl knocked and opened it, earning a kind smile from Gaara.

"Hello, Atsuko. Thank you for bringing Naruto here," Gaara told her.

"Thanks. You've been a big help," Naruto grinned. She grinned right back then turned to Gaara and gave a formal bow before closing the door behind her as she left.

Naruto sat down in front of Gaara and gestured towards the door.

"I like her," he smiled.

"I do, too. That girl is a human calculator. She graduated top of her class in maths. She's not a very good shinobi, though. She's not very strong," Gaara told him.

"I noticed. But in this job, it doesn't really matter. I think that she's intimidated by your sister, though," Naruto stated.

"I know. But I can't stop Temari from speaking her mind. Now, onto more important matters… The blood sample…?" Gaara asked.

Naruto reached into his cloak and lifted out the vial of blood. He placed it in Gaara's open palm. Gaara lifted the blood up and stared at it.

"So… This is our ticket to victory?" he gestured to the blood.

"Yes. But we have to keep this secret. If Tobi finds out, he'll try everything to stop us from finding out who he really is," Naruto warned.

Gaara nodded in agreement. "I understand what you're saying. It would be safest if I sent the samples with some of the strongest ninja that Suna has to offer," Gaara responded.

"Wouldn't that considerably weaken your military strength? What happens if Tobi comes back?" Naruto asked.

Gaara looked up at his friend's face to see a genuine look of concern. Naruto was not so much worried for Suna. He was worried for him.

Gaara sighed before plastering a false smile on his false smile on his face that he hoped was at least reassuring in some way.

"We'll be fine," he assured.

Naruto stared at him. Then the worried look on his face slowly became one of disappointment.

"Don't lie to me, Gaara…" Naruto finally said after a long silence. He looked away just as Gaara's look changed to one of surprise. "When I was a child, the Third Hokage refused to tell me who my parents were. He used to say that he didn't know them. I knew he was lying. I came to recognise that look and it's the same look that you're giving me. Not only that, but, as a former Jinchuuriki, you've seen those same looks from the villagers, too. So, don't think I won't notice," Naruto told him.

Gaara sighed. He should have known that he wouldn't get anything past Naruto.

"Well… What do you suggest?" he asked.

"Let me do it," Naruto responded.

Suddenly, Gaara's gaze became hard.

"Absolutely not."

Naruto frowned at the blunt response.

"Why not…?" Naruto leaned forward in anticipation. He placed his elbows on the desk and laced his fingers together, assuming a pose that reminded Gaara of Naruto's steely-eyed Uchiha companion.

"Because, if he's looking for Jinchuuriki, he'll be targeting you. We can't let him get his hands on you," Gaara responded.

"You're underestimating me, Gaara," Naruto replied.

"Or maybe you're overestimating yourself. Just look at what happened when you fought him last time," Gaara stated.

"That's the thing, Gaara. I don't make the same mistake twice. Now that I know what I'm up against, I can -" he was cut off.

"No. I don't want to see you hurt," Gaara stated bluntly.

"And I don't want to see anyone hurt! That's why I have to do it!" Naruto argued.

"No," Gaara told him. There was no room for argument. Gaara put the vial of blood away in a drawer and locked it.

With a defiant look, Naruto slammed his hands down on the desk, stood up and stormed out of the room with the door loudly slamming shut behind him.

With Naruto gone, Gaara sighed.

"… At least he'll be safe…"

_NARUTO_

_Me: It's almost 9:00 at night and I can't be bothered to say anything other than thanks for reading and please R&R!_

_NARUTO_

**(1)This could have been the 2 cubic tonnes meme. Co****nsider yourselves lucky.**


End file.
